LOS ANGELES.–Former Fox News journalist Tucker Carlson, 54, unnerved 71-year-old Russian President Putin in Feb. 6 two-hour interview, prompting the Russia president to say to Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin he was not impressed. “Sincerely speaking, I didn’t fully enjoy the interview,” Putin said, wishing Carlson were more aggressive. Putin said he was fully prepared for a combative style interview, something he’s grown used to especially in European circles since invading Ukraine Feb. 24, 2022. Putin complained that Carlson “didn’t give him an opportunity to do what he was prepared to do,” responding to sharp questions about Ukraine and other controversial subjects. “If today, due to their own reasons, we are unable to conduct direct dialogue, then we should be grateful to Mr. Carlson for the fact that we can do this through him as in intermediary,” Putin said.
Putin told Zarubin that it’s better to have some dialogue through independent journalists like Tucker Carlson than no communication, because U.S.-Russian relations are at the lowest level since WW II. Tucker enjoyed a reputation with Russian journalists that he gave a more balanced, less belligerent attitude toward Russia, even praising Putin for many controversial moves, including cracking down on dissidents like 47-year-old Alexi Navalny, now rotting away in the Russian penal colony. Carlson was relentless in pursuing the head of RT Margarita Simonyan, who, in turn, worked with her Kremlin contacts to arrange the interview with Putin. Putin had heard for years that Carlson was largely sympathetic to Russian policies, especially on Ukraine. Simonyan put her career on the line to arrange Tucker’s interview, hoping it would go over well with the Russian public.
Playing twice Feb. 6 on Chanel One, the Putin-Carlson interview received poor ratings, with most Russians watching their regularly scheduled programming. Ranking 19th on Russia’s daily programming nationwide and 11th in Moscow, attesting to the interview’s flop. “It’s a shame that Tucker didn’t bring up conservative values. This is his strong point—as well as the strong point of the Boss [Putin] first and foremost,” Simonyan said, disappointed with Russian ratings for the interview. Carlson let Putin do most the talking, revealing for most to see his internal logic about the Ukraine War and other Russian issues. Putin wasn’t comfortable emptying out his brain without any expected combat from Carlson, who avoided most controversial topics in the two-hour interview. Carlson wanted to put Putin perfectly at ease but instead made him feel uncomfortable rambling on without a fight.
Putin has spent his life defending communist values against the West, putting too much emphasis on capitalism for his Marxist values. Marx, whose statue stands tall in Moscow, advocated a redistribution of a nation’s wealth, “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” Generations of U.S. capitalists, including President Ronald Reagan, railed against the communist system as a abysmal failure compared to the U.S. capitalist system. Putin looked forward to defending the communist system against Western capitalism, hoping to engage Carlson in a debate of homelessness in America compared to the Russian system where everyone, regardless of need, has a home. Carlson wanted nothing of the old arguments, wanted to let American voters see firsthand that Putin was not the warmongering maniac portrayed in the U.S. press.
Tucker let Putin pontificate about Russian history or whatever else was on his mind, without engaging in the same old arguments about communism v. capitalism. Tucker succeeded where other U.S. and European journalists failed by getting access to the interview and, more importantly, letting Putin do the talking in a relaxed atmosphere. Can you imagine CNN doing and interview with Putin. It would look like the same antagonistic approach it takes with Trump, attacking him on everything under the sun. Tucker let Putin get comfortable with just telling his story to a Western audience. Putin welcomed the opportunity to reach a U.S. audience, defying the White House propaganda about Putin’s evil intentions. Putin has been demonized so completely by the White House, any dialogue with the Russian leader is viewed as treason, not an attempt to open up honest dialogue.
Tucker did what no other Western journalist could do with Putin: Set him so much at ease, he was actually rattled. Putin expected to exchange the same old communist v. capitalist arguments but instead wound up telling his story. Putin finds himself completely misunderstood, has been demonized in Washington and Kiev. Americans were treated with Tucker’s interview into the closest thing to the real Putin. Putin impressed many people as well-educated, intellectual, articulate, capable to defending communist values. Tucker wanted Putin to open up to a Western audience for the purpose of challenging the Biden narrative, telling voters to not trust the Russian leader. But anyone listening couldn’t help see Putin’s sincerity, down-to-earth way of communicating his message. No one, except Tucker’s jealous critics, can do anything but marvel at how he pulled it off.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
