Some 90 years ago, in the lead-up to WWII, working-class Americans could hear the most prominent media personality of the day parroting Nazi talking points on U.S. airwaves. His typical nightly commentary vilified the victims and defended the aggressors while pressing the case for the U.S. to stay out of the European conflict. The firebrand of the day was Father Charles Coughlin, with an audience of 30 million Americans each week, the largest in U.S. history at the time.[1]
Flash forward to early 2023, and Americans could again hear the most prominent media figure of the day parroting fascist talking points on the most-watched cable news networks in the United States. With upwards of 3 million nightly viewers, Tucker Carlson commanded the largest cable news audience in U.S. history.[2] Taking a page from Coughlin, Carlson became a reliable feedback loop for spreading Kremlin talking points into the U.S. debate since before Russian troops had even invaded Ukraine.
Below are some of Carlson's most recurring talking points.
Talking Points - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1. Ukraine is at war with Christianity.
As Coughlin did in the 1930s, Carlson frames the conflict in Europe as a war against Christianity. Carlson persistently paints Zelensky – who is Jewish -- as anti-Christian.[3] He repeated this narrative most recently in a March 14, 2023 segment, to liken supporting monetary aid for Ukraine to being anti-Christian.[4]
2. The Crimean Peninsula belongs to Russia.
Carlson refers to the Crimean Peninsula, which the U.S. recognizes as part of Ukraine, as Russian territory.[5] In a Feb. 23, 2023 segment, he said there was "no limit" to U.S. involvement in Ukraine, portraying the goal of retaking Crimea as an act of aggression and Ukraine and NATO as the aggressors.[6] This further mirrors Kremlin talking points, which have maintained that the "special operation" is an act of self-defense.
3. Ukraine is not a democracy.
Carlson has often claimed Ukraine was not a democracy but a dictatorship, echoing the justifications Russian state media used when the invasion began.[7] In a similar vein, Putin frequently claims to be "liberating" the Ukrainian people, specifically ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine, from an oppressive government.[8]
4. Sanctions are tanking the European and U.S. economies.
Carlson has further decried that NATO sanctions against Russia are tanking the European and U.S. economies but having no effect on the Russian economy. Multiple Russian state news agencies pushed similar narratives about the U.S. and E.U. economies tanking due to sanctions introduced during the war.[9] In October, Carlson warned that the U.S. was also going to run out of diesel fuel within a month.[10]
5. The U.S. is funding war instead of focusing on other priorities.
In an address to the Russian Federal Assembly just before the one-year anniversary of Russia's initial invasion, Putin called out the U.S. for putting "over $150 billion"; into the war in Ukraine while neglecting humanitarian efforts in America and abroad.[11] Carlson has repeated versions of this talking point in monologues where he argues against providing Ukraine with more money and weapons. In one instance, Carlson claimed the U.S. was "broke" and unable to take care of its own citizens. He justified a shortfall in funding Medicaid as being the logical result of the money the U.S. has spent in aiding Ukraine.[12]
6. Ukraine's real goal is regime change in Russia.
Another common theme among Russian news outlets is alleging that the real strategic goal of Ukraine and the West in the war is regime change in Russia.[13][14] On multiple occasions, Carlson has repeated this narrative.[12][15]
7. The U.S. was developing bioweapons in Ukraine.
Another false claim that Russian state news has also echoed is that Ukraine was developing bioweapons with American aid.[16][17] Carlson repeated the talking point several times, that the U.S. was using internationally legal Ukrainian biological research facilities to develop weapons.[18][19]
8. The U.S. blew up the NordStream 2 pipeline.
A common Russian propaganda line repeated in state news organizations is that the Nordstream 2 pipeline was attacked by the U.S., under the direct orders of Biden, as a way to bait the E.U. into escalating their involvement in the war.[20] Carlson parroted this talking point, with no evidence to support the claim.[21] Carlson's echoing of this theory has gotten a lot of replay on Russian state media.[22]
9. The U.S. is fighting a proxy war as revenge for the 2016 election.
One of Carlson's most persistent narratives is that Democrats have dragged the U.S. into a proxy war with Russia as payback for Russia's hacking of the DNC email servers in the 2016 election. The Ukraine war, he argues, is an attempt by Democrats to punish Russia for interfering in the 2016 presidential election.[23] This narrative echoes Kremlin propaganda alleging the West is the aggressor in the Ukraine conflict and Russia is just defending itself from American hegemony.[24][25]
Carlson's monologues and segments have not gone unnoticed by the very outlets he is parroting.[26] His clips have made their way back to Russian state TV, where they have been translated and played for the domestic audience.
Tucker Carlson segments on Russian state TV.
Despite this, Carlson continues to push false narratives regarding Ukraine on a regular basis, echoing the Kremlin and its news agencies. Major U.S. media outlets and lawmakers have also taken notice of Carlson's unusual pattern of toeing the Kremlin line.[27][28] On one of his segments, Carlson claims a member of Congress wanted to investigate his show for ties to Russia. Carlson shrugged it off, saying, "We're not tied to Russia; of course, this is a cable television program. We're not a diplomatic mission."[29]
