During an interview on Wednesday, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and his upcoming interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“He’s what’s called a useful idiot,” Clinton told MSNBC when asked about the interview.
She went on to say that Carlson was “like a puppy dog” for the Russian media.
“I mean, if you actually read translations of what’s being said on Russian media, they make fun of him,” Clinton claimed.
Speculation rose last week about Carlson potentially interviewing Putin after he was spotted in Moscow attending a play, the Telegram channel Mash first reported.
However, on Tuesday, he confirmed the interview was happening in a statement posted to social media. Carlson claimed that the interview was something he had to do for his journalistic integrity.
“We’re in journalism. Our duty is to inform people,” he said, before adding that “Western governments will certainly do their best to censor this video,” alleging “that’s what they do.”
The interview will mark the first from Putin with an American journalist since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Carlson is known to share more negative opinions on Ukraine, the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the billions of dollars in aid for Kyiv authorized by the US government.
His interview with Putin is set to be broadcast on Thursday on his website, according to Carlson’s social media accounts.
Clinton joked during her interview that she wouldn’t be shocked if he ended up with a new job in Russia after the interview.
“You know, he somehow – after having been fired from so many outlets in the United States – I would not be surprised if he emerges with a contract with a Russian outlet because he is a useful idiot,” Clinton said.
“He says things that are not true. He parrots Vladimir Putin’s pack of lies about Ukraine. So, I don’t see why Putin wouldn’t give him an interview.”