Tucker Carlson Gushes About Russia as Putin Mocks Him

Despite Tucker Carlson publicly gushing about Russia at any opportunity, the leader of the country he’s falling in love with decided to publicly lambast him. 

The former Fox News host recently made headlines after traveling to Russia and sitting down with President Vladimir Putin. It was the leader’s first Western interview since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands. 

The video has gotten over one million likes since being posted on X (the site formerly known as Twitter) on February 8. In the over two-hour video, Carlson lets Putin take complete control and ramble on about whatever subject matter he likes. At one point Putin talked for over half an hour. The interview has been described as “embarrassing” and “sycophantic". 

Those who champion Carlson declared the interview as a brave journalist willing to expose a dangerous truth, but outside of his (vocal) fanbase, Carlson’s interview was met with a more muted response. Even the subject of the softball interview questioned Carlson’s interviewing skills. 

"To be honest, I thought that he would behave aggressively and ask so-called sharp questions. I was not just prepared for this, I wanted it, because it would give me the opportunity to respond in the same way," Putin said in a Russian TV interview. "Frankly, I did not get full satisfaction from this interview.”

The most cringe moment of the interview occurred when Putin mocked Carlson for once wanting to be a CIA operative. 

Carlson was fired from Fox News in 2023, as his firebrand backing of Trump, role in a massive lawsuit, and allegations of a toxic workplace all became too much for Rupert Murdoch. However, despite losing the backing of the right-wing media giant, Carlson remains relatively popular and influential. Unsurprisingly, since going independent, the content he features in his interview show has drifted even deeper into the realm of conspiracy. He’s featured infamous conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, as well as a man who claimed he had drug-fueled sex with former President Barack Obama. 

Being roasted publicly by the subject of a loving interview hasn’t seemed to dampen Carlson’s love for Russia however. In a series of videos posted to his website, Carlson shows his viewers why Russia is superior to his home country. He made a loving video about the subway system in Moscow, set to swelling classical music, where he talks about how there are no “bums, or drug addicts, or rapists, or people waiting to push you on the tracks to kill you.” 

In another video, Carlson—who made millions hosting a television show for Fox News—stated that he had been “radicalized” against the leaders of the United States because of the grocery prices in Russia. He revels over the Moscow store offering such things as having to put in a coin to take a cart away and a “grocery cart escalator.”

“Seeing how much things cost and how people live will radicalize you against our leaders, that’s how I feel radicalized,” Carlson said. “We’re not making this up by the way, at all.”