Tucker Carlson was spotted at a charity fundraiser event on Thursday night, his first public appearance since being fired from Fox News. At the event hosted at the Oxford Performing Arts Center in Alabama, he gave an insightful one-hour speech and briefly commented on his recent departure from the network.

The event was sold out, with a crowd of nearly 1200 guests, many of whom were fans of Carlson’s former Fox News TV show. The annual fundraiser supported Rainbow Omega, a non-profit organization that provides residential facilities and education to adults with developmental disabilities.

During his speech, Carlson covered a number of mainly lighthearted topics, such as the importance of family and charity. However, he did include a few political points and shared how he feels now that he’s no longer on Fox.

He began his speech with a joke, saying, “I'm probably the first unemployed person you ever invited to speak.” He then revealed that he “didn’t realize how much free time [he] would have” now that he’s without a full-time job.

Carlson was abruptly let go on Monday, April 24, allegedly only 10 minutes before going on the air. No official reason was given by either Fox or Carlson, forcing viewers to result to rumors.

Some believe his departure was due to the $787.5 settlement that Fox had to pay to Dominion Voting Systems after Carlson repeatedly attacked them on his show. Others claim he was let go after various allegations of sexism, racism, and gender discrimination.

Most recently, several damaging texts allegedly sent from Carlson’s phone have emerged, with one suggesting an “Antifa kid” should be killed. He allegedly later sent another message saying that he was wrong to use such words.

Sweet Home Alabama

One of the things that stuck out in his speech was his grandiose praise for the state of Alabama. “I accepted for two reasons, one shallow and one a little deeper,” Carlson said, adding, “One is, I do love Alabama. I’m not just saying that.”

He went on to explain why, pointing out that public perception of the state has greatly improved over the years and this can be seen by an increase in new residents.

“Are people moving to Alabama? Oh, yeah,” Carlson spoke. “I love that. Why are they moving here? They’re moving here because Alabama’s everything that you would want in a place that you live. It has cohesive communities, super-nice people, gentle people, people who care about their neighbors, and it has an abundance of nature, something that I think we undervalue.”

He also mentioned that the “country’s view of Alabama is one of those things that just changed completely. Nobody makes fun of Alabama, at all, because they realize actually that’s how you’re supposed to be living.”

Getting Political

Carlson’s comments about charity also went over well with guests of the event. In addressing the importance of helping others, he made a few remarks about how the American government is not doing enough for its citizens.

“There is an awful lot of emphasis on helping people who are making no effort at all to help themselves — who, in fact, are taking,” he said, adding that the government is failing at supporting its people, especially those that are in a tough situation but trying to get out.

“I personally think that ought to be the role of the federal government,” Carlson continued. “They ought to think that way. How do I help my people? One-hundred-and-five thousand died of fentanyl ODs last year. How do we fix it? I'm not sure, but ignoring it is not the first step. It's not, but they do.”

In the end, he reiterated that this is exactly why charity contributions are key to a better society and that, “We don't need to wait for an election to do that.”

He then praised the guests for their efforts with, “You all proved it in what you're doing. You can do it now. I think doing it is a reward. If you want to save the country, love each other.”

Nothing Official

Carlson has not yet announced his future plans, personal or professional. However, it was reported that several news outlets have approached him with a job offer already.

Some fans also believe that Carlson could potentially go freelance, especially since his initial response post-Fox on Twitter received an enormous about of views.

Fox News, meanwhile, had initially temporarily filled his slot with Brian Kilmeade and plans to rotate hosts until they find a permanent replacement. Viewership of the network reportedly dropped by almost half with Tucker gone, so industry professionals believe they will need to make significant changes to stay afloat.