In the months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Russian-controlled media have consistently praised and amplified Fox News host Tucker Carlson as a major anti-Ukraine voice in American media.
For years, Carlson has promoted pro-Kremlin, anti-Ukraine rhetoric on his show, and his position has only intensified since the start of the war. Carlson’s criticism widely blamesPresident Joe Biden for the crisis, accusing him of intentionally aggravating Russian President Vladimir Putin to somehow avenge the 2016 election.
Most recently, Carlson engaged his prime-time audience in a conspiracy theory that the United States sabotaged the Nord Stream pipeline. This kicked off the Carlson-Kremlin feedback loop: a recent report in The Washington Post found that Russian state television aired his commentary about the pipeline at least a dozen times across multiple channels. The Russian government’s overall support for Carlson was confirmed in a March 3 memo revealing that Russian state media outlets follow explicit instructions to amplify Carlson; as such, they regularly air clips and praise him as a voice of pro-Kremlin reason in American news.
In March, Davis documented how Russian state media used a Carlson segment with Arizona senate candidate Blake Masters to argue that “disinformation and propaganda is coming out of the White House and not out of Russia.”
Russian state TV used yet another clip of Tucker Carlson in its flagship Sunday show, Vesti Nedeli. In the clip, #TuckyoRose argued that disinformation and propaganda is coming out of the White House and not out of Russia. pic.twitter.com/b854SHySyA
— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) March 14, 2022
Davis tweeted a clip of Carlson and former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard featured in Russia state media, noting: “After the clip plays, one panelist asks: ‘Is she some sort of a Russian agent?’ The host quickly replies: ‘Yes.’”
Meanwhile on Russian state TV: Another translated clip of Tucker Carlson and Tulsi Gabbard, introduced by state TV host Vladimir Soloviev as "Our girlfriend Tulsi."
— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) March 31, 2022
After the clip plays, one panelist asks: "Is she some sort of a Russian agent?" The host quickly replies: "Yes." pic.twitter.com/VVNGmtjavU
In August coverage of American politics, Russian state TV replayed Carlson criticizing the U.S. for sending aid to Ukraine:
Meanwhile on Russian state TV: using Trump and Tucker Carlson as their shining stars, Kremlin-controlled propagandists outline what they believe will be the key points for the midterms: attacking U.S. support for Ukraine, harping on the economy and inflaming gender issues. pic.twitter.com/uvyjAdwjq5
— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) August 1, 2022