American talk show host Tucker Carlson, who is close to former President Donald Trump, said on Tuesday that he had traveled to Moscow to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Carlson, known for his radical conservative views that appeal to the right, did not say when the interview would air, but said it would be available for free on his personal website.
“I’m here to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin. I’ll be interviewing him soon,” Carlson said in a video posted to X (formerly Twitter).
“There are clearly risks in conducting interviews like this, so we have spent many months thinking carefully about it.”
After being removed from the prime-time hosting slot on the influential right-wing network Fox News last April, Carlson launched a show on the Elon Musk-owned social media platform.
Carlson said Musk “promised not to suppress or prevent” his interview with Putin from eventually being published on X.
The visit by Carlson, known for his long-standing relationship with President Trump, and growing rumors that he is scheduled to meet with Kremlin leaders has already drawn strong condemnation from liberal American media commentators.
Russian state media enthusiastically covered Karlsson’s visit to Moscow, publishing photos of the controversial presenter at the airport and at the famous Bolshoi Theater where he attended the ballet “Spartacus.”
In the video, Carlson justified his visit to the Russian capital as a self-funded trip to conduct an interview.
“We’re in journalism, and our duty is to inform people,” Carlson said. “Two years into the war (with Ukraine) that is reshaping the entire world, most Americans are not informed. I have not received any.”
“They have no idea what’s going on in this region, whether it’s here in Russia or 600 miles away in Ukraine. But they should know: They’re paying a lot of the bill. ”
– Access to President Putin –
Carlson criticized U.S. media for several interviews with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, which often amplified the Ukrainian leader’s demands for “deeper U.S. entry” into the war and “a price to pay.” He said that it was a “complaining encouragement session” with the aim of
“That’s not journalism. That’s government propaganda,” Carlson added.
Carlson’s announcement came as President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Congress would play into the Kremlin’s hands if it fails to renew U.S. funding for Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression.
Biden said “time is running out” for Ukraine and accused Trump of discouraging lawmakers from passing a $118 billion bill linking aid to Ukraine and immigration controls that Republicans have threatened to block. .
Karlsson also accused Western media of refusing to interview Putin, a claim journalists quickly disputed.
U.S. and other international media outlets have been covering the Ukraine conflict intensively since Moscow’s offensive began two years ago, but face increasing restrictions on reporting within Russia.
Carlson’s contact with Putin comes after two Americans are detained in Russia, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovitch and Radio Free Europe’s Ars Kurmasheva. This is in sharp contrast to the detention of journalists.
Carlson had record viewership as a Fox News host. A key figure in Republican politics, he frequently interviewed President Trump and was widely criticized for spreading disinformation.
Trump has unleashed a torrent of conspiracy theories, from his false idea of a “great replacement” for white Americans to vaccine disinformation and anti-transgender talk, alleging that there was fraud in the 2020 election. quickly spread unsubstantiated claims.
He was fired after a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems accusing Fox News of broadcasting false claims after the election.
Carlson soon moved to X, where his videos received millions of views.
Fox News has launched a legal battle to stop the show, claiming it violates the terms of its contract.
Bar/AC/Co