American broadcaster Tucker Carlson, who is close to Donald Trump, dealt a strong blow on Tuesday by announcing that he would soon conduct an interview with Vladimir Putin.
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“We are here to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin,” the conservative star said in a video posted on X, previously Twitter.
Tucker Carlson is a star broadcaster in the United States, who was recently fired from Fox News, and is very popular among conservatives. He has since hosted a show, which has been rebroadcast on X.
At the helm of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” between 2016 and 2023, the fifty-year-old became one of the most influential voices in conservative America, accused of spreading conspiracy theories and racism.
The journalist is also known to be very close to Donald Trump, the former Republican president who is on track to oppose Joe Biden in the US presidential election in November.
The broadcaster did not specifically clarify when the interview with Vladimir Putin would take place or when it would be broadcast. “We will do it soon,” he said simply.
Rumors abounded about the possibility of this interview taking place, as several channels on the Telegram application reported in recent days the presence of Tucker Carlson in the Russian capital, Moscow.
“Our homework”
In a four-minute video clip, the broadcaster explained all the reasons that prompted him to request this interview.
“This is why we do it,” he said. “First, because this is our job, we practice journalism, and our duty is to inform people.”
“Most Americans are uninformed, and have no idea what is happening in the region, here in Russia or 600 miles away in Ukraine. However, they should know it, because they are paying a large portion of it.”
In recent months, Tucker Carlson has more than once criticized US support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian attack.
This support is also the subject of heated debate in the US Congress as Republicans close to Donald Trump refuse to release new funds to Kiev, which President Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky have persistently demanded.
In a hostile speech to the mainstream media, which was criticized by many on the right, he asserted that residents of English-speaking countries knew little about the war in Ukraine and its consequences.
“They believe that nothing has really changed. They believe that because no one has told them the truth. Their media is corrupt,” he said.
He particularly criticized the interviews conducted by the American media with President Zelensky, describing them as “scandalous.” He explained that he himself had requested an interview with Mr. Zelensky.
Tucker Carlson also discussed some of the arrangements surrounding the interview, claiming, among other things, that he paid for his trip himself.
“There are obviously risks in doing an interview like this. So we thought about it carefully for several months.”
“We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin. We are here because we love America. We want them to remain prosperous and free.”
