When asked whether there were worries Tucker Carlson’s interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin could “further erode support” for Ukraine among the American public, White House national security official John Kirby said he isn’t concerned, adding he doesn’t believe people will be swayed by “one single interview.”
White House national security official John Kirby encouraged anyone who watches Tucker Carlson's ... [+]
Kirby said he thinks “the American people know well who's at fault here,” adding Americans know “Ukraine wasn’t a threat to anybody” when Putin led Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“He invaded a neighboring country without provocation,” Kirby said of Putin, saying he thinks the American people “understand what Ukraine's fighting for and all they're asking for is our help,” adding they aren’t asking for “American boots on the ground.”
Kirby also said he thinks anyone who watches Carlson’s interview needs to remember they’re listening to Putin and “shouldn't take at face value anything he has to say.”
In terms of whether the interview could influence lawmakers, Kirby said the White House is “convinced there is strong bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for supporting Ukraine” and said he “couldn’t begin to guess” how they would be impacted by the interview.
What Putin and Carlson discuss in the highly-anticipated interview. It’s scheduled to drop at 6 p.m. EST on tuckercarlson.com, Carlson announced on social media.
Carlson’s interview with Putin will be the Russian president’s first time being interviewed by a western journalist since Russia invaded Ukraine almost two years ago. Speculation grew early in the week that ex-Fox News host Carlson was potentially interviewing the Russian president when Carlson was spotted leaving a hotel in Moscow in a black SUV headed for the Kremlin. Carlson then confirmed he was interviewing Putin on Tuesday, saying in a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “it’s our job” to do the interview as “we’re in journalism.” He also said “most Americans are not informed” on the Russia-Ukraine war and “have no real idea what’s happening in this region,” and he has been critical of the U.S. giving military aid to Ukraine in the past. On Wednesday, the Kremlin confirmed it had granted Carlson the interview, saying it was granted because his approach was “in no way pro-Russian, it is not pro-Ukrainian” and is instead “pro-American,” according to Reuters.