Right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson, who has often been called a MAGA puppeteer, said he was “sympathetic” to Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo. The conservative conspiracy theorist added that Russia was “thriving” as it continues to bombard Ukraine with deadly missiles three years into the war.
Carlson confessed that he’s “definitely more sympathetic to Putin than Zelensky for the following reason: I think it’s fair to judge leaders on how they do for their country. They have one job. Do a good job for your country. Make it better.”
He also suggested that Putin was not an autocrat but rather a typical leader: “Putin does not have absolute control of his country, and there are all kinds of potential rivals,” he said. “He’s been there for 20 years.”
Carlson’s links to the Kremlin run deep. In the war’s early days, Putin sent out talking points to state propaganda outlets and encouraged them to feature Carlson “as much as possible” on their broadcasts because he was slamming the United States and its “negative role in unleashing the conflict in Ukraine.”
Carlson was even able to interview Putin himself last year. The pair talked for over two hours. During his trip, Carlson filmed a video of himself fawning over a supermarket. “Coming to a Russian grocery store, the ‘heart of evil,’ and seeing what things cost now and how people live ... it will radicalize you against our leaders,” he said, referring to then-President Joe Biden. “That’s how I feel, anyway ... radicalized.”
When Carlson returned, he said he was not pro-Putin, but “if I was, that’s okay too. I’m an adult man, an American citizen. I can like or dislike anyone I want. I can have the opinion I want.”
Carlson has previously been interviewed by Cuomo, his former rival who once claimed he was interviewing Putin for “attention.” Still, he claimed that the “conversation” has to reflect a “range of ideas.”
President Donald Trump has historically been complimentary of Putin and sought to establish ties with Russia. He’s taken an unprecedented stance on the war by publicly accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being a “dictator” and humiliating him in an Oval Office meeting in which he complained Zelensky had failed to show sufficient appreciation for the U.S.‘s wartime support. He also said that Zelensky was “gambling with World War Three” and wasn’t ready for peace.
Trump has further shown support for Putin by saying it was a “mistake” for Russia to be kicked out of the G7. Putin was originally forced out of the group after Russia invaded and annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region in 2014.
Trump has also pointedly refused to accuse Russia of starting the war and even blamed Zelensky instead.
Cuomo’s full interview will air Monday. In the preview, Carlson said that Russia is doing well and “actually, for a country at war, is thriving.”
Beside Putin, Carlson has long been a booster of Trump. In 2023, he said, “I’m voting for Trump, and if they convict him, I will send him the max donations, and I will lead protests. That’s how I feel.”
Despite his public support for the president, Carlson reportedly said in private text messages—which came to light during Dominion Voting Systems’s lawsuit against Fox News—that he hates Trump “passionately.”
A previous producer on his show said that Carlson threatened to “destroy” top Republicans if they didn’t obey Trump and used his show to promote the party’s leadership. Fox fired Carlson with little explanation in April 2023.
The Daily Beast has reached out to Tucker Carlson for comment.
