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An Interview with Putin by Tucker Carlson is Criticized for Giving the Russian Leader a Propaganda Platform
In a controversial move, U.S. commentator Tucker Carlson conducted an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, criticized for giving the Russian leader a propaganda platform. The nearly two-hour long interview was released on Carlson’s website and saw Putin claim Ukraine was a threat to Russia and urge the United States to press Kyiv to stop fighting and cut a deal with Russia as the military alliance has called these claims false.
The meeting faced criticism even before its publication as Carlson interviewed Putin when his government was holding Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and another U.S. journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva of RFE/RL, in jail on charges related to their reporting. During the interview, Carlson angered the Wall Street Journal by suggesting that Putin should release the 33-year-old journalist. Kurmasheva’s case was not even mentioned. The U.S. State Department has officially designated Gershkovich as wrongfully detained by Russia.
Ian Bremmer, a New York-based political scientist and president of Eurasiagroup, noted that “Putin got his message out the way he wanted to” after the interview. During the discussion, Carlson rarely challenged Putin, and the journalist is known for his controversial statements and conspiracy theories. Putin made claims during the interview, which includes a long and rambling lecture on the history of Russia and Ukraine. The lack of discussion about credible accusations against Russia drew further criticism.
The controversy in Carlson’s career goes back, with Fox News winning a defamation case against him in 2020 over his engagement in “exaggeration” and “‘nonliteral commentary.” This is further complicated by Carlson’s cozy relationship with former President Donald Trump, despite the tumultuous times they had. Despite the backlash, Carlson has defended his decision to interview Putin, saying that the U.S. media outlets have not bothered to interview him since the full-scale invasion, sparking a debate on the genuineness of his journalistic efforts.
