Tucker Carlson loses ads over immigration comments

Advertisers are abandoning Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson amid outrage over his remarks about immigrants making the US "poorer and dirtier" and "divided".

Over a dozen companies, including insurer Pacific Life and finance site NerdWallet, have dropped the show over Mr Carlson's controversial language.

He first made the remarks on Thursday and defended his rhetoric on Monday.

Fox News said Mr Carlson was "being threatened by far left activist groups with deeply political motives".

On his programme, Tucker Carlson Tonight, last Thursday, Mr Carlson said the US needed "more scientists and skilled engineers but that's not what we're getting".

The conservative host claimed immigration was "indefensible" economically.

"Our leaders demand that you shut up and accept this. We have a moral obligation to admit the world's poor, they tell us, even if it makes our own country poorer and dirtier and more divided."

Insurance company Pacific Life pulled advertising from Mr Carlson's show last week after facing online criticism for having an ad air after the host's immigration monologue.

"We strongly disagree with Mr Carlson's statements," Pacific Life tweeted on Friday. "We will not be advertising on Mr Carlson's show in the coming weeks as we re-evaluate our relationship with his programme."

Despite the mounting backlash, the anchor defended his statements on Monday, saying he would not be intimidated by "enforcers scream[ing], 'Racist,' on Twitter".

Since Monday, personal finance company Nerd Wallet has also said in a statement to US media that it will be "re-evaluating any ongoing advertising" on Mr Carlson's programme.

Minted, a design marketplace website, tweeted on Monday that it would be "permanently discontinuing" advertising on Mr Carlson's programme over the remarks.

The jobs website Indeed had stopped advertising on the show before the controversy, and confirmed on Twitter that there were no plans to advertise on Mr Carlson's show in future.

Here are the other companies who are pulling commercials, according to the Hollywood Reporter:

The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), the largest immigration legal nonprofit in Texas, has also called on all advertisers to stop supporting Mr Carlson's show.

However, not all of Mr Carlson's advertisers have opted out - Mitsubishi and Farmers Insurance told US media they did not consider politics when purchasing ads.

Mitsubishi has since said in a statement that they are monitoring the situation and will "adjust" advertising if needed.

Mr Carlson's biggest advertising dollars are also still coming in, according to the Associated Press, and some experts say this boycott only amounts to short-term damage.

Pharmaceutical companies Sanofi, AstraZeneca and Bayer have also not pulled ads, saying commercials were never endorsements of the shows, according to the Reporter.

AstraZeneca added that they will "assess our advertising purchases regarding the heightened attention surrounding this matter" and Bayer indicated that they review advertisement placements based on consumer opinion and "ethical considerations".

In a statement, Fox News said: "We cannot and will not allow voices like Tucker Carlson to be censored by agenda-driven intimidation efforts from the likes of Moveon.org, Media Matters and Sleeping Giants.

"Attempts were made last month to bully and terrorise Tucker and his family at their home. He is now once again being threatened via Twitter by far left activist groups with deeply political motives."

Fox News anchors have faced ad boycotts for controversial comments before.

Earlier this year, host Laura Ingraham lost advertisers for mocking David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland high school shooting.