Hillary Clinton on Tucker Carlson's Putin interview: 'He is a useful idiot'
Watch more of Alex Wagner's interview with Clinton tonight!
9pmET on MSNBC pic.twitter.com/936lATJBAm
— Alex Wagner Tonight (@WagnerTonight) February 7, 2024
Per CNN, “Putin walks away with propaganda victory after Tucker Carlson’s softball interview”:
It’s evident now why Vladimir Putin granted an interview to Tucker Carlson.
Over the course of the more than two-hour sit-down, the former Fox News host turned online commentator largely refrained from challenging the Russian authoritarian, whose brutal war on Ukraine has led to the needless deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Those expecting a hard-hitting face-off will have surely walked away sorely disappointed by the long-winded and rambling interview, in which Tucker himself at times appeared lost.
Instead of pressing Putin on the many topics at hand, including credible accusations Russia has committed war crimes and the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Carlson allowed the autocrat a free lane to manipulate the public and tell his version of history, no matter how deceptive it may have been. At times, between the airing of grievances, Putin appeared to school Carlson on historical events as the host looked on in bewilderment. Or to put it more plainly, Carlson provided Putin a platform to spread his propaganda to a global audience with little to no scrutiny of his claims…
It was a massive propaganda victory for Putin, who can — and will – now twist the encounter for his own ends. If there was any doubt that Putin did not view the sit-down with Carlson as a big win, a glance at how his own state-run media covered the affair should erase it. Immediately after Carlson published the chat online, Putin’s mouthpieces rushed to amplify it…
While Carlson was once a critic of the Russian government, in recent years he has been far more sympathetic to the Putin-led state, dragging the GOP with him. Carlson’s commentary on Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine has been anything but favorable toward Kiev, with the right-wing extremist even likening Volodymyr Zelensky to vermin last year.
Which is precisely why Putin agreed to the interview with Carlson, while actual journalists who would have pressed the Russian leader on a range of critical issues, have been denied access for years. You don’t have to take our word for it, either. Putin’s own spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters this week that Carlson was selected because he “has a position that is different from the rest” of Western media…
Tucker Carlson did ask Vladimir Putin about Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich who was arrested by the FSB on false charges of espionage and has been wrongly detained for nearly a year.
Here is what Putin said:
Tucker: I appreciate all the time you've given us. I… pic.twitter.com/HxYBDptyki
— Yashar Ali ?? (@yashar) February 8, 2024
Tucker: I appreciate all the time you’ve given us. I just gotta ask you one last question. And that’s about someone who is very famous in the United States. Probably not here. Evan Gershkovich who’s the Wall Street Journal reporter. He’s 32. And he’s been in prison for almost a year. This is a huge story in the United States. And I just want to ask you directly, without getting into the details of it or your version of what happened, if, as a sign of your decency, you would be willing to release him to us and we’ll bring him back to the United States.
Vladimir Putin: We have done so many gestures of goodwill out of decency that I think we have run out of them. We have never seen anyone reciprocate to us in a similar manner. However, in theory, we can say that we do not rule out that we can do that if our partners take reciprocal steps. When I talk about the partners, I first of all refer to special services. Special services are in contact with one another. They are talking about the matter in question. There is no taboo to settle this issue. We are willing to solve it but there are certain terms being discussed via special services channels. I believe an agreement can be reached.
Tucker: So typically, I mean this stuff has happened for obviously centuries. One country catches another spy within its borders. It trades it for one of its own intel guys in another country. I think what makes and it’s not my business, but what makes this different is the guy’s obviously not a spy. He’s a kid, and maybe he was breaking your law in some way, but he’s not a super spy and everybody knows that. And he’s being held hostage in exchange, which is true with respect. It’s true. And everyone knows it’s true. So maybe he’s in a different category. Maybe it’s not fair to ask for, you know, somebody else in exchange for letting him out. Maybe it degrades Russia to do that.
Vladimir Putin: You know, you can give a different interpretations to what constitutes a spy. But there are certain things provided by law. If a person gets secret information and does that in conspiratorial manner, then this is qualified as espionage. And that is exactly what he was doing. He was receiving classified, confidential information, and he did it covertly. Maybe he did that out of carelessness or his own initiative. Considering the sheer fact that this is qualify this espionage. The fact has been proven as he was caught red handed when he was receiving this information. If it had been some farfetched excuse, some fabrication, something not proven, it would have been a different story then. But he was caught red handed when he was secretly getting confidential information. What is it then?…
There’s another half-dozen call-and-responses, all on the same theme: Gershkovich was a CIA plant who’s damned lucky Putin (generous, gentle soul that he is) didn’t have him executed immediately. Thanks a bunch, Mr. Carlson, for your assistance!
Putin will use nuclear weapons if it comes to Crimea – Tucker Carlson
"It's the home of the Russian Navy, there's a Russian population there, they had a referendum, they chose Russia. It's part of Russia. You may like it or not, but Putin will start a nuclear war if it comes to… pic.twitter.com/d4CP6nDczU
— Zlatti71 (@djuric_zlatko) February 9, 2024
.@juliaioffe on Tucker Carlson interviewing Putin in Russia: “What's really shocking is the way he just walks right into Moscow and presents himself on a silver platter to the Kremlin. Doing the Kremlin’s job of misinforming, disinforming the American population.” pic.twitter.com/1ySqKpNH2I
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) February 7, 2024
46 minutes into his history lesson, Putin stops to mock Tucker for applying to the CIA when he was younger and getting rejected. pic.twitter.com/oyoADwytpI
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 9, 2024
Hillary Clinton was right. Tucker Carlson is a useful idiot. https://t.co/l3w8kxakLc
— joy reid's wig. (@mistergeezy) February 9, 2024
Yutsano
Just curious: did anyone expect anything different here? Of course Putin was going to be using Tuckems for spreading his propaganda. And it didn’t cost him a dime.*
*As far as I know he didn’t pay for Failson to be there. I could be wrong.
Bruce K in ATH-GR
Y’know, when I called Carlson a 21st-century Lord Haw-Haw a while back, I thought I was being a bit more facetious than that.
Baud
Any way to let Putin know that Tucker Carlson is also a spy?
Maybe the CIA could leak his spy school “diploma.”
Shalimar
@Baud: I assume Putin already knows. He mocked Tucker for being rejected by the CIA. How do we know Tucker wasn’t really accepted, and has been a CIA asset all these years? An “I know more about you’re allowed to tell your fans” kind of mocking by Putin?
Ten Bears
Cancel its’ passport … leave it there …
brantl
@Shalimar: Because even the CIA has standards.
Tony Jay
Tucker Carlson’s ID badge is in the name of Mr Dick Flaccid. It wasn’t his decision, it just happened naturally.
Anyway. I’m sitting here at work occasionally glancing over at the TV News and they are driving hard and giddy into the BIDEN MEMORY CRISIS SCANDAL ELECTION DISASTER narrative.
Never change, 24/7 Newsbilge. Brass Eye had you hemchewers nailed back in the ‘90s. Bad, vapid and dangerous to watch.
Baud
@Tony Jay:
On my feed, there’s debate about whether Charles should abdicate.
lowtechcyclist
Can’t wait to hear the angry condemnations from major GOP politicians and Tucker’s former colleagues at Faux News for doing this interview that basically amounts to having gone over to the other side.
Actually, I guess I can wait. I’m sure I’m gonna have to, now that I think about it.
mrmoshpotato
“useful idiot” is being nice.
Fucker Carlson is more of a stupid, traitorous, sack of
diarrhea
that sucks Kremlin cock.
When do Bill O’ or Megyn go deepthroat Putin?
Shalimar
@Tony Jay: It’s insane that an obvious partisan should have been appointed to investigate Biden. And then allowed to publish a report of Trump talking points. Release the full Biden interview. Let us judge for ourselves how good his memory was. He has been in politics for over 50 years. I’m guessing his recall is still a lot better than most of us would do in a deposition.
JR
@Yutsano: I wasn’t expecting Putin to tweak Carlson as much as he did, but otherwise pretty much as expected.
Baud
@JR:
I believe the right wingers call it an “alpha male” move. Always gotta make clear who’s boss.
ColoradoGuy
@Baud: Good point. Like Tsars of old, Putin could have Tucker tossed out a window with the slightest of nods. And he let Tucker know it.
zhena gogolia
I watched the clip where he mocks Tucker about the CIA. I literally got sick to my stomach. I can’t watch these or I’ll be hurling.
zhena gogolia
@Baud: He does that all the fucking time. It was an old trick of Stalin’s too.
Baud
@zhena gogolia:
Stalin was an alpha male too. One of the alphaest!
Princess
I hope that the fact that Carlson walked straight from an interview with Canada’s Kristi Noem, the conservative anti-trans premier of Alberta to a chat with Putin will blow back on her and on Polievre. Lots of Ukrainians on the prairies.
Tony Jay
@Baud:
Of course he should.
Nothing to do with the cancer. He just should, and the Prince of Peggers should too. Can’t fill the post if none of the Lucky Bloods will serve.
Baud
@Tony Jay:
Isn’t there always another relative to take the throne? That was the premise of King Ralph with John Goodman.
Ken
The still images for the video embeds above (I have no intention of playing them) suggest Carlson still uses his vaguely puzzled, “I can’t believe I’m hearing this” facial expression for everything. Or maybe his mom was right, and his face got stuck that way.
BellyCat
Putin’s motives are clear. What were Tucker’s?
satby
@BellyCat: That he’s at his core a stupid man with no principles at all grasping for relevance?
MomSense
I think today is a good day to watch Usher videos. Anyone see the Usher Jung Kook Standing Next To You remix? They brought in a great choreographer who grew up listening to Usher and copying his old school moves, Happy, full circle moment for him. Keone Madrid is amazing and does really cool dance that looks like animation.
Geminid
@BellyCat: One of Carlson’s motives was likely to regain relevence. Carlson’s clout was seriously diminished when Fox kicked him off his prime-time platform. He’s in danger of becoming, “Tucker who?”.
Baud
@satby: 👍
@MomSense: 👍
OzarkHillbilly
@BellyCat: Sucking up to Putin. Mission accomplished.
Tony Jay
@Shalimar:
They should, but they won’t.
Rule One – Thou shall not challenge The Holy Narrative.
Rule Two – Should the insignificant facts conflict with The Holy Narrative, see Rule One.
Parfigliano
So Tucker got the thumbs up in his US VP interview with Putin.
Timill
@Baud: As of 2011, there were about 5000 people who could succeed to the throne.
https://www.npr.org/sections/talk/2011/04/28/135811753/last-in-line-to-the-british-throne
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Bruce K in ATH-GR:
Once again, real life outpacing satire. Jesusfuckingkeeeristonabike, the world really has turned upside down.
TBone
Here’s a better interview (I can’t sully myself countenancing anything Tuckums “reports” about Putin). But I do trust this guy and what he has to say about the Supremacists on our highest court:
https://youtu.be/rGxSgsYoJMo
BellyCat
Writing off Tucker may be naive. Predicting Tucker makes a presidential bid (with Putin’s support) once Trump is off the table, thus revitalizing MAGA. Really hope to be wrong, but this interview seems like the first step on this path for Tuckems.
Tony Jay
@Baud:
I’m leaning towards torching the whole circus to the ground, but I’d be willing to compromise on a short term Goodman Interregnum if that’s what’s on the table.
Butter Emails!
@Shalimar:
No thanks. The thing is that Trump (at least initially) seemed to provide a slightly more accurate perspective than the press of what the Hur report was suggesting regarding Biden, e.g. that the amicable, forgetful old man thing is an act which he deployed here as a more effective and sympathetic version of the “I do not recall” stonewall.
satby
@BellyCat: Definitely want some of whatever you’re smoking.
OzarkHillbilly
Wet skin could save lives when lightning strikes, study finds
Makes sense to me.
TBone
Soooo, the bullshit in the Hur report (which is, in the real world, a win yes A WIN) and the bullshit from Cucker Tarlson are being allowed to eclipse actual news to dominate our attention with bullshit. Again?
lowtechcyclist
@Geminid:
The real question is whether Tuckems can build on this, or whether this just staves off his irrelevance for another few months. Maybe he can interview Orban next. Or Kim Jong Un.
TBone
Senator Whitehouse, in the short clip above, states that Clarence Thomas has broken the law by not recusing. It’s an important piece of truth everyone should be aware of and maybe incensed about.
Dorothy A. Winsor
I just pushed the start button on my keurig and realized I’d forgotten to put a cup on the platform. Ran to the cupboard, grabbed a cup, slapped it down. That was exciting.
The Red Pen
A lot of this fuckers like Carlson are so rich, they could retire to their vacation houses and live an awesome life. Why — WHY?! — are they so hell bent on ruining everyone else’s lives?
The Red Pen
@Dorothy A. Winsor:
I’m thinking about returning to an old-fashioned coffeemaker that can be put on a timer. I’m too groggy to make coffee before I’ve had my coffee.
Tony G
@Bruce K in ATH-GR: A large percentage of the American right wing admires Putin, in the same way that a large percentage of the American right wing admired Hitler in the thirties. There’s a long history.
Kay
@TBone:
It’s just extremely frustrating for supporters of the Democrats. Does anyone know why Democrats insist on selecting partisan Republicans to conduct investigations? I genuinely don’t get it. Democrats are incapable of acting as investigators/prosecutors? That’s the belief of the Democratic Party? Only Republicans may serve in those roles?
Jesus Fucking CHRIST we did it again? After Comey? That’s my reaction.
Hire someone who ia capable of following the rules and doesn’t have a huge ego and an agenda. Why is that so hard? There’s a shortage of competent non partisan lawyers in DC, a place with more lawyers per capita than anywhere elese in the world?
Democratic voters can’t do this by themselves. Democratic electeds are going to have to help, or at least stop hurting our chances.
OzarkHillbilly
@The Red Pen: Being the author of death and destruction makes them feel relevant.
“Can’t ignore me now, can you?”
Tony G
@BellyCat: Putin is a white fascist who pretends to be a “Christian”. That is why Tucker and his (diminishing) legions of moronic fans support Putin. It’s that simple, I think.
TBone
@Kay: yes. But where one pays their attention dictates one’s frustration level. I’m suggesting that we need to be a lot choosier. I don’t allow anyone to dictate to me what is important and whether I should devote precious energy using critical thinking skills. Picking and choosing what to ingest is important.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@The Red Pen: Apparently so am I.
Tony G
@The Red Pen: People like Carlson are miserably unhappy at their core. Their only joy in life is hurting other people.
trnc
Huh? Kristi Noem is the governor of South Dakota.
trnc
“Dog looking at a magic trick” is my favorite description of that look.
Kay
@TBone:
I mean, that’s fine, and everyone can live as they like but it could also become completely ignoring reality – living within a completely curated “pleasant” world that doesn’t exist. It’s important to me to stay tethered to the real world, unpleasant though it may be at times. I actually think sentimental and irrational attachment to beliefs about The Law and Institutions led to the Comey situation and now Hur.
There’s a refusal to look at how this actually works real world. Investigators/prosecutors are supposed to be nonpartisan and professional. But they often aren’t. One can ignore the second part but I think one does that at their peril.
Frankensteinbeck
Carlson is a nobody now. In his own country, this is a propaganda win for Putin. Here, Tucker has just barely enough reach to look stupid.
@Tony Jay:
Meanwhile in the real world, if what I’ve seen is any indication, the actual public reaction to the press conference is “OMG did you hear Biden lay a zinger on Doocey???”
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Geminid: Like most of the Right Wing political entertainment complex , they are basically shock jocks. So, turning traitor is shocking.
I was thinking yesterday that this will be how it ends with Trump, running off to Russia and sucking up to Putin.
trnc
Agreed. I think Garland gets too much flack for some things, like the time it took to indict DT, but he deserves a lot of pushback for this one.
trnc
Sure, but have you met the voting public?
Baud
@trnc: Aren’t we among the voting public?
Chris Johnson
It only counts as a massive victory for Putin IF you think Tucker Carlson is a real journalist.
If you figure Tucker has been working for Putin the whole time, it is no victory. It is just continuation of Putin’s warfare by other means: more directly, for some reason. As if he can’t use Tucker covertly anymore and has to burn him in an obvious publicity stunt.
So… a desperate ploy, consuming what was once a resource.
Hillary is wrong. He’s not a useful idiot. Tucker was a faithful agent, and knows exactly what he’s doing.
TBone
@Kay: did you look at the video I posted? I’m NOT suggesting a curated unreality AT ALL. I’m suggesting that deciding to not to countenance complete bullshit is a wiser use of one’s faculties. I very frequently advocate keeping an eye on the bastards (especially the quietest ones), but I don’t see the utility of getting upset about their bullshit.
TBone
@trnc: I wasn’t speaking to the voters, I was speaking to us jackals. But Baud’s point is well taken too!
trnc
Of course, but there seem to be far too many voters who aren’t looking at things like we do. If the media goes full on Hillary emails mode with the Hur report, it’s gonna be a problem.
trnc
OK. I don’t think anyone here is worried about what we make out of it. It’s how the normies will see it that gives me heartburn.
TBone
@trnc: that’s going to happen. So not countenancing utter bullshit is a strategy. Turn it off, give no clicks, unsubscribe, etc.
BellyCat
Worth keeping in mind is that we once laughed at Trump.
Tuckems is WAY smarter than Trump, understands media and how to manipulate it, is entirely self-serving, lies with a (sort of) straight face, and already has a huge built-in following. Fox ditched him, but he remains trusted by many RW viewers/voters. If he makes a run, at a minimum he puts a huge wedge in Fox viewership, and that may be enough reason on its own for him to do it. Winning the presidency would be gravy for him.
While I may be smoking something funny, the evangelicals want an electable person (as does Putin) and Tucker is it for them. As outlandish as this seems, it’s worth pondering from their point of view, even if it requires a very large bong!
TBone
@BellyCat: I never stopped laughing 😎
trnc
@TBone: We can’t jump at every little piece of BS, but some things are ignored at our peril and need to be countered. My hope is that the Biden campaign aggressively knocks it down.
TBone
@trnc: I believe this site has a maybe larger reach than we realize.
TBone
@trnc: President Biden already and immediately addressed it.
Chief Oshkosh
@TBone: Sure, focus on the positive. I get it. But your vote and my vote won’t quite get us over the top.
This will have an effect; we are taking a hit. So I agree with Kay. Continuing to put partisan conservatives in charge of ANYTHING is completely idiotic for Democratic leadership to do. It’s a weak move by people who ought to know better by now. It gives our opponents endless piles of fodder and it makes our own people wonder what in the ever-loving fuck our guys are thinking, undermining confidence.
Anecdotally, I’m in a few social groups (bookclubs, drinking societies, foodie groups, etc.). All full of moderate liberals, with almost all of the members being 50+ years old. Not young. Nearly all of the political conversation is about Biden’s age and competency.
TBone
@Chief Oshkosh: JFC lambs led to slaughter. Obeying in advance.
Chief Oshkosh
@Baud: Yes, but Adlai tells us that we need a majority to win.
TBone
@Chief Oshkosh: we have that majority. Can we overcome the bullshit (Big Lies) is the question.
Chief Oshkosh
@TBone: Hey, I’m frustrated with them, too, but I’m not sure adding contempt of people’s concerns to our arguments will help us reach our goals.
Chris Johnson
@BellyCat: I was a LOT more worried about Tucker running for office when he was at Fox. He was on that track. That’s how he alienated Murdoch, by getting himself a cult of personality much like Trump’s.
Tucker is bitterly, bitterly jealous of Trump. For good reason. He would indeed like to be Trump and be made ‘President’ for Putin, and now that will never happen. If that could happen, he would not be ‘interviewing’ Putin, and blowing whatever independent ‘credibility’ he’s supposed to have. He would not be relegated to Twitter and given all the clout of a DeSantis.
This is Tucker getting USED, for Putin’s benefit. If he had a bigger role in store he would not be getting used for this one. Putin’s got people all over, for the purpose of playing opposition or ideologue of various kinds (including on the left! Only some of them are formally working for RT, others are clearly taking orders and working undercover)
None of it is enough because it’s in the service of imperial ambition that is as doomed as the Third Reich.
Tucker is already under that bus. He is not going to be President. He would still be at Fox if he was on track for that.
I would point out that if TFG ‘wins the Presidency’ at this stage he will owe Putin SO FUCKING MUCH, not only for getting there but everything he’ll need to cling to power against pretty much America as a whole. Trump would be so utterly dependent on Putin at that stage. The same would not be true for Tucker, and that’s why Tucker is not going to be made Putin’s President. The guy is an ideologue, a freak, desperate, but he can never, ever be as desperate as Donald Trump. And that is why Trump is going to be the Republican nominee and the goal of the next, even less effective coup attempt.
WaterGirl
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Good to start the day with a bit of aerobic exercise!
TBone
@Chief Oshkosh: I hope I did not convey contempt with my suggestion(s). I was attempting to redirect focus to a more productive place where action can occur. Helplessness is not an option for me. I did characterize the anecdotal evidence you presented in a rather shocking way but I don’t hold those in contempt. I could have said sheep.
Chief Oshkosh
@TBone: I completely agree. My stance is that we’re fighting against some of the worst human beings in our country, people who will do just about anything to gain and keep power (and this largely includes the press). We should be clear-eyed about that. We should not be putting any of their players into positions where they can harm us. To the degree possible, we should be actively rooting their players out of any systems we control. We should follow the law and current policies, but we should not let prior unwritten understandings or niceties get in the way of achieving our goals.
TBone
@Chief Oshkosh:
https://youtu.be/rGxSgsYoJMo
artem1s
@Tony Jay:
Don’t worry, the MSM still has the attention span of a gnat. And Johnson or some other GOPer will step on a rake so violently that they won’t be able to help themselves and move on. I give this one about 24 hours. Besides, surely they have pressing Taylor Swiftboating to get on with? Biden’s age is OLD news anyway.
TBone
@artem1s: 😊
Tony Jay
@Frankensteinbeck:
I refer you to the aforementioned Rule Two.
Isn’t journamalism ace?
horatius
@Baud: My plea to the blogfather and to the almight Baud. Can we just replace all occurences of Tucker Carlson with Fucker Carlson? If we don’t speak the truth, who will?
Tony Jay
@artem1s:
They’re pretty desperate to find any narrative mud that they can make stick to the Biden White House. They can’t bash him over his Israeli policy because it’s the one they agree with and other than that…. crickets.
So they’ll pounce on whatever hunks of rotten meat they can find and pronounce themselves CARNIVORES OF NOTE!
dr. luba
@trnc: “Canada’s Kristi Noem”
That threw me, too. But he is referring to Danielle Smith, leader of the United Conservative Party, and comparing her to Kristi.
Paul in KY
@Tony Jay: That would just make George the King. Then we’d have a minor as King. You know how that usually ends…
Could have a play from 22nd Century titled ‘Henry IX’
Paul in KY
@Kay: Good point, Kay. At the least, (IMO) Mr. Garland could have edited it a bit to removed extraneous stuff.
Paul in KY
@BellyCat: There’s no way Tucker Carlson ever runs for President (unless Darth Putin orders him to and says he will murder him if he does not). He has too many skeletons in that prim little closet of his.
wjca
So, just like a huge number of evangelical pastors then. Not to mention the politicians among their flocks.
BellyCat
Unlike Trump?!?!
Paul in KY
@BellyCat: They don’t seem to care about TFG’s. Plus, he represents as more of a ‘manly man’ ™ than Tucker does.