Rumors have been circulating that Fox News wants to replace former host Shep Smith’s 3:00 pm timeslot on the network with an unexpected outsider.
Social media has hinted that conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is being considered for the job — and the rumors have become so frequent, Rush himself addressed them directly on his program Monday.
Rush told his audience, “Thanks… but no thanks.”
“A lot of people have said, ‘Rush, why don’t you, when you finish at 3 o’clock, why don’t you just turn on the camera in there and let Fox hire to you replace Shep Smith. I mean, you could segue from your show to the 3 o’clock audience over at Fox'” You know why this is being suggested, is because Sheppard Smith abruptly left the network last week in circumstances that are still a bit cloudy and mysterious,” Rush said to begin his Monday radio program.
“Folks, let me tell you something. I have nothing left to prove,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I have built radio stations. I have built audiences. I don’t need to prove I can do that anymore.”
Rush said that a timeslot outside of primetime isn’t enough to tempt him to a new gig.
“And the truth of the matter is that the Fox News audience at 3 o’clock — don’t tell anybody. Can you move in a little closer?” Rush told his audience. “The Fox News audience at 3 o’clock, it’s … misunderstood — it’s not much. It’s just not much. And, of course, that would never be mentioned as a factor in anything going on.”
“I appreciate the suggestions,” he continued. “And people were serious about it. But I must decline, using the same answers … I gave to a very great caller last week wondering: Why aren’t you on YouTube video, and why aren’t you on Facebook, and why aren’t you on Twitter?”
“I am right where I belong,” Rush said. “I am right where I need to be, and I’m very satisfied with it.”
“The Fox News gig is open now? I’m not gonna do that,” he continued. “Why would I? With no downtime, just move straight from here? No way. Not even if they televised the radio show as the newscast at three in the afternoon, which would make it more fair and balanced than anything elsewhere ’cause we do both sides of every issue out there in order to help persuade people to come to the right conclusion.”
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