US government ridicules Tucker Carlson’s Putin claim

The former Fox News host has alleged that the White House obstructed his attempts to interview Russia's president

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters he had nothing to say about alleged attempts by unnamed figures in Washington to prevent Tucker Carlson from interviewing Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“This will be good,” Miller quipped upon hearing Tucker’s name, interrupting a journalist’s question. After drawing some laughs in the room, the reporter went on to ask whether the spokesman had any comments. 

“I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Miller stated with a smile, before moving on to the next question. 

Last week, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson told Swiss publication Die Weltwoche that he had attempted to set up an interview with Putin, but did not explain when the interview was to occur or how exactly the US government intervened.

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“I tried to interview Vladimir Putin, and the US government stopped me,” Carlson claimed. The often-controversial media personality did not elaborate on the episode, but appeared to suggest that the Biden administration had somehow stopped the sit-down from taking place.

“By the way, nobody defended me. I don't think there was anybody in the news media who said, ‘Wait a second. I may not like this guy, but he has a right to interview anyone he wants, and we have a right to hear what Putin says’,” Carlson added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the Western public is so inundated with “Russia-hating propaganda” that an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin would not be received “soberly.” 

READ MORE: Western public 'stupefied by Russia-hating propaganda' – Kremlin

Peskov did not comment on Carlson’s claims, yet when asked whether the Russian president would consider an interview with the American journalist, he replied “we’ll wait and see.”