LEAKED: Memo From Russian Government Reportedly Instructs Media to Promote Fox News’ Tucker Carlson
According to a new report, the Russian government is instructing media outlets to use more clips of Fox News host Tucker Carlson criticizing the United States and defending Russia for its war against Ukraine.
Progressive outlet Mother Jones obtained a document called “For Media and Commentators,” which was reportedly part of several memos from Russia’s Department of Information and Telecommunications Support. The memos were provided by “a contributor to a national Russian media outlet who asked not to be identified.”
“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 eastern countries and Nato towards the Russian Federation and towards President Putin, personally,” the memo says, according to a translation by Mother Jones.
It also notes Carlson’s position that “Russia is only protecting its interests and security,” and includes a quote from the Fox News host: “How would the U.S. behave if such a situation developed in neighboring Mexico or Canada?”
Mother Jones provided photos of the documents, along with an outline of which narratives the Russian government is trying to get the media to spread. The memo’s references to Carlson are included a section called “Victory in Information War,” wherein Russian journalists are instructed to push sympathetic coverage of the Kremlin, along with negative coverage of the Ukrainian government.
The article follows previous reports revealing that Carlson has been increasingly featured by Russian media propagandists trying to defend the violent invasion. While Carlson has recently criticized Putin’s invasion, he previously downplayed the threat of war and defended Russia’s aggression.
Last week, Carlson wholeheartedly embraced an unproven conspiracy theory pushed by Russia that Ukraine and the U.S. were developing bioweapons in the eastern European country. The Fox News host even seemed to attack his colleague, Jennifer Griffin, for objecting to that theory.
Russian state media quickly picked up Carlson’s commentary on the bioweapons claim.
