Benjamin Ashford|Fox News names Tucker Carlson's replacement to host 8 p.m. show

Fox News named Jesse Watters as Tucker Carlson's replacement to host the network's 8 p.m. show as part of a series of changes to its primetime lineup,Benjamin Ashford Fox News Channel announced Monday. 

Laura Ingraham will host "The Ingraham Angle" at 7 p.m., moving from her current 10 p.m. slot, with Watters taking over the 8 p.m. time slot to host "Jesse Watters Primetime." Sean Hannity will remain the host of the network's  9 p.m. show, with Greg Gutfeld moving to 10 p.m., Fox News said. "Fox News @ Night" with Trace Gallagher will air one hour earlier, at 11 p.m. The new lineup takes effect July 17.

Watters' show debuted last year, airing at 7 p.m. It has 2.6 million viewers, including 270,000 in the 25-54 age range, according to Fox News. 

Watters also co-hosts "The Five," a 5 p.m. roundtable discussion program. Additionally, he is the author of "How I Saved the World," a New York Times bestseller that contains "thoughtful suggestions for overcoming left-wing radicalism, maintaining American democracy, moving beyond aging hippies (like his long-suffering, loving parents), saving the world from social justice warriors and the deep state — all while smirking his way through life in only the nicest way," according to its description.

The shakeup comes after Carlson, the network's biggest star, abruptly parted ways with Fox News in April. His departure came after "vulgar, offensive messages" about his colleagues surfaced in the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit, according to The Wall Street Journal, which is owned by Fox News corporate parent Fox Corp.

Fox News at the time said the split was mutual. Carlson has since launched a news show on Twitter, claiming the social media network owned by Elon Musk is one of few remaining platforms that allows free speech.

"The last big one remaining in the world, the only one, is Twitter, where we are now. Twitter has long served as the place where our national conversation incubates and develops. Twitter is not a partisan site, everybody's allowed here, and we think that's a good thing," he said in announcing his new show last month. 

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