REVEALED: ABC's Jonathan Karl was once after Chris Wallace's job at Fox News

Chris Wallace's announcement in early December that he was leaving Fox News after 18 years immediately started the rumor mill spinning about who might replace him as host of "Fox News Sunday." Since his departure, Fox's Brett Baier and John Roberts have filled in as the network considers its options for a permanent replacement.

Source Material at The Daily Beast is reporting that one potential candidate was ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl. He reportedly had talks with Fox News brass about replacing Wallace but ultimately passed. Karl is said to have long yearned to host a Sunday morning talk show.

“We had very informal conversations with Jonathan Karl as we routinely have with many talent across all media—offers are never extended in these discussions, therefore nothing was declined,” a Fox News spokesperson emailed Source Material. Karl did not respond to a request for comment.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Wallace said that he felt he had to leave his former employer because he felt the network had gone off the rails following the election of Donald Trump and grew worse after the 2020 election. "I’m fine with opinion: conservative opinion, liberal opinion,” Wallace said. "But when people start to question the truth — Who won the 2020 election? Was Jan. 6 an insurrection? — I found that unsustainable.”