WASHINGTON – White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed Tucker Carlson’s “ridiculous” claims about interference from the Biden administration ahead of his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Carlson confirmed he would interview President Putin in Moscow on Tuesday afternoon and claimed in an X Views post that “Americans have a right to know” about the war being waged by the Kremlin in Ukraine.
“Nearly three years ago, the Biden administration illegally spied on our text messages and leaked their contents to news media servants,” the former Fox News host claimed in a preview video.
“They did this to thwart the Putin interview we had planned. I have no doubt that last month they did the exact same thing again. But this time they came to Moscow anyway .”
Asked about Carlson’s claims during Tuesday’s regular briefing, Jean-Pierre first said he would “absolutely not comment” on the interview or Carlson’s claims.
But a moment later, Jean-Pierre changed tack and said, “Actually, I’d like to get back to your question.”
“This is a ridiculous premise and a ridiculous statement that has been made about this administration,” she added. “So, let me be clear: that’s completely ridiculous.”
Karlsson, who has frequently criticized U.S.-backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy amid Putin’s two-year invasion, made his point in a short video published in an interview with Putin. It did not elaborate or provide evidence to support its claims.
Carlson claimed in June 2021 The whistleblower said he was told the National Security Agency was “monitoring our electronic communications and planning to leak information to take the show off the air.”
The NSA denied the allegations.
Carlson’s controversial text messages have been reported by news outlets, including as part of a defamation lawsuit against Fox News. Other comments concerned Carlson’s feelings about protesters and then-outgoing President Donald Trump following the 2020 election.
