Former 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton took Tucker Carlson to task over his forthcoming interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested Carlson would receive a contract with a Russian media outlet.
Clinton said Carlson was a "useful idiot" for Russia during an interview with MSNBC's Alex Wagner Wednesday night.
"If you actually read translations of what's being said on Russian media, they make fun of him," Clinton said. "He's like a puppy dog."
"I would not be surprised if he emerges with a contract with a Russian outlet," she added.
Clinton claimed Carlson lies and "parrots" Putin talking points about Ukraine.
"I don't see why Putin wouldn't give him an interview, because through him, he can continue to lie about what his objectives are and what he expects to see happen," she said.
The former 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said it was "quite sad" Carlson struggled to "correlate his reporting with the truth."
"It's a sign that there are people in this country right now who are like a fifth column for Vladimir Putin," she said. "Why are certain Republicans throwing their lot in? Why are other Americans basically believing Putin? Why did Trump believe Putin more than our eleven intelligence agencies?"
Wagner appeared excited by the question and suggested Clinton may have a "working theory," to which Clinton agreed.
"It's more than just the political partisan advantage," Clinton continued. "There is a yearning for leaders who can kill and imprison their opponents, destroy the press, lead a life of impunity, one that is unbound by any laws."
Clinton said she found her assumption to be "absolutely gobsmacking, terrifying."
EU officials have reportedly considered imposing sanctions on Carlson following his interview with the Russian president, per Newsweek.
Carlson announced he would interview Putin in a Tuesday X post.
“There are risks to conducting an interview like this – obviously – so we thought about it carefully over many months,” Carlson said in his video recorded in Moscow. “So, here’s why we’re doing it: first, because it’s our job. We’re in journalism. Our duty is to inform people. Two years into a war that’s reshaping the entire world, most Americans are not informed. They have no real idea what’s happening in this region.”
Carlson said Russia's military conflict with Ukraine, which began two years ago this month, has "utterly reshaped the global military and trade alliances."
“Americans have a right to know all they can about a war they’re implicated in, and we have the right to tell them about it because we are Americans, too,” he continued. “Freedom of speech is our birthright. We were born with the right to say what we believe. That right cannot be taken away no matter who is in the White House, but they’re trying anyway.”
The interview has not been released as of Thursday morning.
