I'll take this opportunity to state that the word "meritocracy" was originally a bit of a joke taking the piss out of the idea that an aristocracy would couch itself in the language of merit without actually changing much.
Every field of study contributes to building a bridge: math and science the engineering, language the coordination of labor. History alone tells you why to build the bridge.
As someone with a historian's training, I don't mind it at all. Every narrative and theory of history is based on some element of fiction. Some in the field don't like being reminded of that.
Some brands offer products at dollar stores that are identical to traditional store products except by volume; a hair or so less weight/volume per buck. It adds up.
Personally I loathe seeing Pinterest come up in my Google searches. So I use a "custom" search in chrome that just sticks "-inurl:pinterest" after all my searches. Perhaps that may be an option for you.
A dash of luck! Really no way to know, and anyone who tells you they know probably doesn't. It's still fun to guess. Consider a fire pit lined with rocks. Perhaps an observant fire watcher begins to notice the rocks seem to change over time and separate, or a toolmaker decides to use one type of stone with a particularly good edge and a low luster. The discovery of bronze fascinates me more than iron, especially since its usage generally predates iron. Bronze needed someone to not only understand that metals were embedded in stone, but that by alloying them, you could achieve properties that the constituent parts didn't have to begin with. Add on that complex trade routes that distributed tin to distant shores and you've got yourself a fine puzzle for ancient historians to ponder.
Any aspiring authoritarian knows that once the public can be convinced everyone is hysterical and biased, it's that much easier to get the average Joe to throw up his hands and say "whatever, I'll just support the strong man who will help me get mine, since other politicians are just going to get theirs, and I certainly can't trust the media."
Tucker invented a story, regardless of his personal history, likely to deflect from the fact that he was recently named in a civil suit that details sexual assault by a Fox employee. Whatever your background, making things up for TV is not defensible.
EDIT: and if his personal history induces him to invent narratives, it's clear he doesn't belong in his current profession