Last week, Tucker Carlson released a much-anticipated, much-maligned interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The former Fox News host has revealed it was 3 years in the making.
While speaking at the World Government Summit, Carlson was asked about the interview. He then revealed the difficulties he had securing the sitdown with the Russian dictator.
“I’ve been trying for three years to do this interview, but the US government prevented me from doing it by spying on my text messages and leaking them to The New York Times,” alleged Carlson. “And that spooked the Russian government into canceling the interview. So I’ve been trying to do this, but my country’s Intel services were working against me illegally, and that enraged me because I’m an American citizen.
“I’m 54, I pay my taxes, and I obey the law. There was no expectation in the America that I grew up in that my government and its intel services — NSA and CIA, which were always outwardly focused on our foreign enemies — would be turned inward against American citizens. And I’m shocked by that, and I’m infuriated by that.”
Tucker Carlson continued by noting he felt a duty to speak with Putin and broadcast that message to the American public.
“Once I discovered that that was happening — and I confirmed it was happening and they admitted that they did it — then I was totally determined, mono maniacally dedicated to doing this interview,” he admitted.
“Not simply because I want to know what Vladimir Putin is like and what he thinks about a war that is resetting the world and really gravely damaging my country’s economy, but also because they told me I couldn’t on the basis of illegitimate means and for no really clearly stated justification. And I thought that can’t stand. I want to live in a free country. I was born in one and I’m going to do whatever small thing I can do to maintain the society that I love.”
