The News
Fox News star Tucker Carlson’s abrupt firing on Monday quickly reverberated in Russia, where the right-wing commentator and host had become a darling of pro-Kremlin propagandists.
Here are the reactions from some of the most prominent voices on Russian state TV.
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The View From Russia
“He has been harassed”
Star pro-Putin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov said on Telegram that Carlson’s firing “was caused by a combination of circumstances.”
“It is also clear that he has been harassed by globalists in the Republican Party and Democrats,” said Solovyov, adding that they felt “incredible hatred for him” because “he was the most open to an analytical and balanced attitude towards Moscow.”
On Solovyov’s show on state TV, he urged Carlson to ”come work with us,” saying, “Solovyov Live is waiting for you, Tucker,” the Daily Beast reported.
More job offers
Margarita Simonyan, head of state news network RT, reacted on Telegram: “What’s surprising is not that Tucker Carlson is leaving Fox, but that he managed to stay there for so long.”
RT also offered Carlson a job on Monday.
“Our favorite”
Olga Skabeeva, the host of Russia’s version of 60 Minutes, reported the “sad news” that Fox “terminated their contract with one of the most prominent TV hosts in their history, our favorite, Tucker Carlson,” per the Daily Beast.
She said Carlson had “badmouthed Ukraine, calling it a corrupt black hole for American taxpayers.”
(In February, Carlson called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “very dark force” and “not a hero.”)
That’s not how this works
TV host Olesya Loseva falsely claimed that the White House signed off on Carlson’s ousting, saying he “demolished Biden’s policies every day.”
Step Back
Carlson became a beloved figure on Russian state TV channels in recent years thanks to his relentless criticism of the Biden administration. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, mentions of Fox News spiked on Russian-language media, The New York Times reported last year.
Sometimes, pro-Kremlin shows directly translated and played some of Carlson’s monologues while making their points.
The Kremlin sent a memo to state-friendly media outlets last spring requesting that they use clips of Carlson ”as much as possible,” citing his criticism of the U.S. and NATO’s “defiantly provocative behavior” toward Russia and Putin, Mother Jones reported.