'It is so insane but our viewers believe it': Tucker Carlson's producers quietly trashed Fox News' audience

The exposure of damning communications between Fox News host Tucker Carlson, producers, corporate bigwigs, other anchors, and staffers at the network regarding their true feelings toward ex-President Donald Trump and his lies about the 2020 election has exposed a vast collaboration to dupe Fox's audience into believing what its employees knew to be utter rubbish.

On Monday's edition of Out Front, CNN host Erin Burnett and correspondent Oliver Darcy discussed what the latest batch of private discussions divulges about Fox and its coverage of Trump.

"Even more Fox News texts coming to light from that Dominion defamation lawsuit challenging the right-wing channel for pushings lies that Dominion claims were 'good for Fox's business.' So this time it's an exchange between a Fox executive and a former producer for one of its biggest stars, Tucker Carlson. So let's bring in CNN's senior media reporter Oliver Darcy. So, Oliver, you have found a fascinating exchange and a very illuminating exchange. What does it reveal?" Burnett asked Darcy.

READ MORE: Here's proof Tucker Carlson didn't watch all of the insurrection footage

"It reveals again that, behind the scenes, Fox executives and people working on some of the biggest shows, like Tucker Carlson's program, didn't believe the lies being pushed by Donald Trump and his team and privately trashed them behind the scenes," Darcy said.

"I'll read you this exchange. It's between Raj Shah and Alex Pfeiffer, a former producer for Tucker Carlson. Raj Shah texts Pfeiffer. He says, 'You might want to address this, but this stuff is so f-ing insane. Vote rigging to the tune of millions? C'mon.' Alex Pfeiffer responds, 'Is it even worth addressing again tonight? It is so insane but our viewers believe it so addressing again how her stupid Venezuela affidavit isn't proof might insult them.' And then Pfeiffer goes on, later on in this exchange, he says, 'This whole thing is surreal. Like negotiating with terrorists, but especially dumb ones. Cousin,' – redacted – 'types, not Saudi royalty.' And so, I mean, this really highlights what they thought about Trump's election lies. Privately trashing them behind the scenes, but entertaining them on air because the audience wanted it," Darcy explained.

"Wow, I mean, it is pretty incredible. And saying directly to – you say, Raj Shah, right? Who is, of course, with team Trump – what they thought about it, right? Making it very clear what they thought about it," Burnett responded.

"So what else have you learned from these internal messages as you've been poking through them about Fox executives, right? So we're seeing this at the show level, but what about Fox executives, their involvement, their acquiescence, their support of this?" she wondered.

READ MORE: 'It’s so absurd': Even Republican senators are calling 'bulls***' on Tucker Carlson Jan. 6 'whitewash'

"This really saturated Fox at a level – from the producer level, from the host level, from the Fox News executive ranks – and also from the Fox Corporation ranks. I think that's what's so interesting. Raj Shah – a former White House spokesperson-turned-Fox Corporation executive – he's at the parent company. He has his brand team, supposedly, and they're flagging instances which they think are threatening to the Fox brand. And those instances actually tend to be when anchors like Neil Cavuto would fact-check Trump's election lies on-air. That was considered, to Raj Shah, a threat to the Fox brand. So I think that's really interesting," Darcy replied. "It's not just Fox News executives. It's Fox Corporation. Raj Shaj. Rupert Murdoch. Lachlan Murdoch. They didn't want critical coverage of Trump, and they made that very clear to their subordinates."

Agreeing, Burnett added that the conspiracy "went all the way to the top."

Watch below via Media Matters for America or at this link.

READ MORE: Don't argue with Tucker Carlson. Say what he is