Tucker Carlson’s interview last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin brought out the critics, one of whom is Putin himself.
In a Wednesday interview with Russian state TV, Putin said he expected to win a combat that never took place.
“I honestly thought he would be aggressive and ask so-called sharp questions,” Putin said, according to Politico.
“And I wasn’t just ready for that. I wanted it because it would have given me the opportunity to respond sharply in kind … But he chose a different tactic,” he said.
🇷🇺 President Putin discusses Tucker Carlson’s interview tactics.
“So, frankly, I did not fully enjoy the interview.” pic.twitter.com/eS7Ua99qfD
— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) February 15, 2024
Putin said Carlson was not as confrontational as he expected, implying he sought such a duel.
“He tried to interrupt me several times, but still, surprisingly for a Western journalist, he turned out to be patient and listened to my lengthy dialogues, especially those related to history, and didn’t give me reason to do what I was ready for,” he said.
Do you think Tucker’s questions were soft?
“So frankly, I didn’t get complete satisfaction from this interview,” he said.
“He fulfilled his plan, but how meaningful it was in the end is not for me to judge,” Putin said, according to the New Republic.
Some praised Carlson for the interview.
Tucker doesn’t treat Putin with kid gloves. I love it. https://t.co/2Ne0WwJjFX
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) February 9, 2024
Tucker Carlson has been smeared for days. The legacy media and Democrat establishment are upset at him for simply doing his job.
Americans can handle thought-provoking conversations. We can handle dangerous thoughts or contrary ideas that don’t fit the MSM narrative. Let us… https://t.co/uLDLeB6VVC
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) February 8, 2024
Others said Putin got to say whatever he wanted.
“It turned out to be anything but an interview. Putin droned on for two hours and seven minutes while Tucker sat there like an eager puppy,” former Fox News colleague Chris Wallace said, according to the Independent.
“A reporter can ask Putin a tough question if he wants a real interview,” Wallace said.
“But apparently that’s not why Tucker went to Moscow. During the Cold War, gullible Westerners who spread Soviet propaganda were dismissed as useful idiots, but calling Tucker that is unfair to useful idiots,” Wallace said.
On his website, Carlson said his intent was not to persuade, but to inform.
“We are not encouraging you to agree with what Putin is saying in this interview. We urge you to watch. Then, as a free citizen and not a slave, you can decide for yourself,” he wrote.
