How Russian Media Propagandized Tucker Carlson’s Interview of Putin
Tucker Carlson, formerly of Fox News, sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin for an interview on February 6 (Wikimedia Commons).
American political commentator Tucker Carlson flew to Moscow, Russia to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 6, 2024. The approximately two-hour interview marked Putin’s first sit-down with western media since 2021. The reasoning behind Putin’s decision-making is unknown, but the ways Kremlin news organizations propagandize his actions are telling.
Following the Carlson interview, Russian state-funded news organization Vedomosti published the headline: “Tucker Carlson Rules Out the Possibility of Ukraine Winning Conflict with Russia.” The article focused on Carlson’s adamance that a Ukrainian victory was impossible, Russia’s attempts to negotiate with Ukraine despite their resistance, and the many admirable qualities of President Putin. Such narratives appear to be popular across Russian media, where Putin’s impressive attributes claim the foreground of many articles. One such article from the Kremlin news outlet News.RU quotes Carlson calling Putin an “obviously intelligent man” and “extremely practical,” while another describes Putin as “offensively athletic.” Putin’s recent statements about Carlson going too easy on him in the interview further demonstrate the Kremlin’s attempts to portray Putin as sharp and formidable.
Carlson’s favorability among Russian news sources is also apparent. RIAMO even claimed that a Russian “social activist” group offered Carlson Russian citizenship because the “United States is intolerant of dissent, restricts freedom of speech and even threatens the life and health of the journalist and his team.” News.RU reported a high probability of Carlson serving as vice president to Donald Trump in 2024. The article goes so far as to claim that it only makes sense for Carlson to run for president himself in the future. News outlets aim to instill even more nationalistic pride by remarking on Carlson’s professed love for Russia after his visit.
Anti-American rhetoric, not uncommon among Kremlin-backed news sources, also frequently appears. Russians talk about a “western information blockade” spreading disinformation about the war in Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden tends to receive the brunt of the criticism, as News.RU claims that many American doctors concur that Biden must undergo a cognitive test and that “Grandpa Joe” would fail a similar interview with Carlson.
Russian media post-Carlson appears to not deviate on its core messages: Putin is a strong and capable leader, the United States unfairly hates Russia, and Russia will win its war against Ukraine. New developments include praise of Tucker Carlson, his love of Russian prices, and new hope that Biden will be replaced.