Tucker Carlson makes shocking revelation about Moscow trip (VIDEO) — RT World News

Tucker Carlson said Tuesday that American spies monitored him while he was in Russia earlier this month and leaked to a “friendly” outlet that he had met with Edward Snowden. This is despite the American journalist's claim that he tried to keep his meeting with the NSA whistleblower a secret.

Carlson went to Russia to interview President Vladimir Putin. During his eight days in Moscow, he also met with Snowden, and US spies found out, he told podcaster Lex Friedman over the course of three hours. conversation.

“I was under intense surveillance by the US government.” Carlson told Friedman, noting that US spies had foiled his plans to interview Putin In 2021 He received confirmation that he was under intense surveillance before his trip to Moscow. “Then, I'm there, and of course I want to see Snowden, whom I admire.”

Snowden allegedly accepted Carlson's invitation to dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel, but declined the interview as well as the photo request, saying it would be better not to tell anyone.

“I didn't tell anyone” Carlson told Friedman, but the meeting was leaked. “Semaphore is running this article – publishing information that they got from US intelligence agencies, which is leaking against me, and using my money, in my name, in a supposedly free country – they are publishing this article saying that I met Snowden, as if it were a crime or a crime.” something.”

“If you have a media organization that acts as employees of a national security state, you don't have a free country. And that's where we are.” Carlson added.

Carlson revealed that he was not afraid of being arrested in Russia at any time, but his lawyers warned him that the United States could arrest him based on the content of Putin's interview.

“I did not feel any anxiety during the eight days I spent there.” He told Friedman about his presence in Moscow.

Before leaving for Russia, his team of lawyers advised him to do so “Don't do this… A lot will depend on the questions you ask Putin. If he sees you as being too nice to him, you could be arrested when you return.” Carlson quoted the lead attorney, who he said responded: “You're describing a fascist state, okay?”

In 2013, Snowden revealed that the NSA was systematically involved in illegal mass spying on American citizens. Fearing for his safety, he fled to Hong Kong with the aim of reaching Ecuador, which did not have an extradition treaty with the United States, but was stopped during a stop in Moscow after Washington revoked his passport. Russia ended up granting him asylum and eventual citizenship.

One of the founders of Semafor, the outlet to which Carlson claims US spies leaked his dinner with Snowden, is Ben Smith, the former editor-in-chief of the now-defunct BuzzFeed newsroom. In 2017, Smith published “Steele Dossier,” a false document leaked by American spies to discredit incoming President Donald Trump.