Leaked Kremlin Memo Says Tucker Carlson Is ‘Essential’ To Russia’s Disinformation War In The US

A leaked memo from the Russian Department of Information and Telecommunications Support seems to confirm what we’ve long suspected: Fox News host Tucker Carlson is being used to spread Kremlin propaganda and disinformation.

David Corn of Mother Jones reports:

On March 3, as Russian military forces bombed Ukrainian cities as part of Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of his neighbor, the Kremlin sent out talking points to state-friendly media outlets with a request: Use more Tucker Carlson.

“It is essential to use as much as possible fragments of broadcasts of the popular Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who sharply criticizes the actions of the United States [and] NATO, their negative role in unleashing the conflict in Ukraine, [and] the defiantly provocative behavior from the leadership of the Western countries and NATO towards the Russian Federation and towards President Putin, personally,” advises the 12-page document written in Russian. It sums up Carlson’s position: “Russia is only protecting its interests and security.” The memo includes a quote from Carlson: “And how would the US behave if such a situation developed in neighboring Mexico or Canada?”

The mention of Carlson appears in the memo shortly after this section, which specifically addresses issues Russia wants repeated frequently so it can frame the debate over anything that might be anti-Kremlin and anti-Putin:

“The Russian invasion is ‘preventing the possibility of nuclear strikes on its territory’; Ukraine has a history of nationalism (that presumably threatens Russia); the Russian military operation is proceeding as planned; Putin is protecting all Russians; the ‘losing’ Ukrainian army is shelling residential areas of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia; foreign mercenaries are arriving in Ukraine; Europe ‘is facing more and more problems’ because of its own sanctions; and there will be ‘danger and possible legal consequences’ for those in Russia who protest the war.”

Carlson has been a frequent and vocal critic of the U.S. getting involved in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, telling his viewers that Ukraine’s desire to join NATO was the root cause of Russia’s attack on its neighbor:

After Putin attacked Ukraine, Carlson ceased his anti-anti-Putin rhetoric and shifted to a new line: that the United States and the West purposefully goaded Putin into launching the war. Carlson said it was “obvious” that “getting Ukraine to join NATO was the key to inciting war with Russia.” He asked, “Why in the world would the United States intentionally seek war with Russia? How could we possibly benefit from that war?” He said he did not know. 

The Russian memo, along with Carlson’s continued criticism of the U.S. imposing economic sanctions raises a much larger and more disturbing question: Has Fox become a Kremlin mouthpiece, and why are they so willing to side with a country and its ruler when Putin has made it clear his fondest desire is to destroy the United States by whatever means possible?