The White House has told Americans to “don’t believe anything Vladimir Putin says” during his highly anticipated interview with Tucker Carlson.
Carlson, 54, announced he would interview the Russian leader earlier this week, and the interview will air live tonight on X at 6 p.m.
The former Fox News firebrand, who has openly opposed US military aid to Ukraine, made the announcement after he was seen leaving the Kremlin.
During the daily White House briefing on Thursday, Communications Coordinator John Kirby told reporters that Americans should not believe anything Putin says.
Kirby said: “Anyone watching that interview should make sure to remember that they are listening to Vladimir Putin.” You shouldn’t take anything he has to say at face value.
Carlson, 54, announced he would interview the Russian leader following speculation after he was seen leaving the Kremlin earlier this week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, December 14, 2023.
Kirby also added: ‘The American people know well who is to blame here, and I think they know that there was no basis for the invasion two years ago.
‘He invaded a neighboring country without provocation, Ukraine was not a threat to anyone.
‘The American people understand that, the American people understand what Ukraine is fighting for.
‘The only thing they ask for is our help, they do not ask for troops on the ground. “I don’t think the American people are going to be swayed by a single interview.”
He also said: ‘We are convinced that there is strong bipartisan support on Capitol Hill to support Ukraine.
‘The president believes that support for Ukraine is essential, especially now that Russia continues to try to attack its industrial base.
“I am confident that the leadership firmly supports Ukraine; I cannot imagine how they will be affected by a television interview.”
Carlson said the interview would air “unedited” on his website and on X, making him the first American to interview Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Carlson, 54, announced he would interview the Russian leader earlier this week, and the interview will air live tonight on X at 6 p.m.
During the daily White House briefing on Thursday, Communications Coordinator John Kirby told reporters that Americans should not believe anything Putin says.
The conservative commentator said in a video: ‘Two years into a war that is changing the entire world, most Americans are uninformed.
‘They have no real idea what is happening in this region. But they should know that they are paying for much of it in ways they may not fully realize.
“Americans have the right to know everything they can about the war they are involved in.”
He went on to call the world’s English-language media corrupt, stating that they “lie to their readers and viewers” and that “it is their duty to inform” the public.
Carlson repeated the unconfirmed claim that the Biden administration illegally spied on him three years ago to prevent him from interviewing Putin. He then claimed that the federal government “did the same thing again.”
“But this time we came to Moscow anyway,” he said, adding that he paid for the trip himself, “and received no money from any government or group.”
‘We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin. “We are here because we love America and we want to keep it prosperous and free,” Carlson said.
The commenter also claimed that Elon Musk had “promised not to suppress or block this interview.”
Tucker Carlson is shown here in a Moscow parking lot expressing his admiration for the Russian capital.
In a later video, apparently from the same parking lot, Carlson says the interview with Putin has not yet taken place.
Carlson’s access to Putin stands in stark contrast to the restrictions placed on other journalists in Russia, where two American citizens — Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Radio Free Europe’s Alsou Kurmasheva — are currently imprisoned.
His show on Fox News was also regularly criticized during its time on air for reiterating Kremlin talking points.
The program was said to be very popular among senior figures in the Russian government, particularly after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian state media fueled the rumors on Monday, releasing a video they claimed showed Carlson leaving the Russian presidential administration.
Carlson would be the first American to interview Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022
The former Fox star also kept his cards close to his chest on Monday, after Russian media showed photos of him at various locations in Moscow.
“It’s beautiful,” Carlson said of Moscow in an interview broadcast by the Izvestia newspaper.
“I just wanted to see it because, you know, I’ve read a lot about it but I’d never seen it before.”
Asked if he was in Moscow to interview Putin, Carlson said, “We’ll see” and smiled.
The former MSNBC host, 54, arrived in the capital on February 1 and was seen at a performance of Spartacus at the Bolshoi Theatre.