Chris Wallace has openly criticized his former Fox News colleague, Tucker Carlson, following Carlson’s recent interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a segment aired on CNN, Wallace didn’t mince words, describing Carlson’s interview approach as less than journalistic and more akin to a passive observer. The interview, which saw Putin speaking for over two hours without facing any substantial questions about his actions in Ukraine, war crimes, or targeting civilians, was labeled by Wallace as a missed opportunity for meaningful journalism.
“Carlson’s session with Putin turned out to be anything but an interview,” Wallace remarked, highlighting the lack of challenging questions and Carlson’s apparent eagerness that led to a largely one-sided conversation. According to Wallace, Carlson failed to leverage the opportunity to question Putin on significant issues, instead allowing Putin to dominate the conversation without scrutiny.
Wallace’s critique went further, comparing Carlson to historical figures labeled as “useful idiots” for unwittingly spreading propaganda. However, Wallace suggested that Carlson’s actions surpassed mere naivety, instead indicating a calculated move to appeal to a specific audience’s affinity for authoritarian leaders. “To call him [Carlson] a useful idiot is unfair to useful idiots,” Wallace said, suggesting that Carlson’s intentions were rooted in a desire to pander to certain political sensibilities rather than engage in genuine journalism.
Accusing Carlson of disseminating “fascist propaganda,” Wallace condemned the interview as a disservice to journalism and an endorsement of Putin’s regime. He criticized Carlson’s role as merely a “scribe” to one of the era’s most notorious dictators, absent of any journalistic integrity or investigative rigor.
This isn’t the first time Wallace has expressed disapproval of Carlson’s methods. Their professional relationship has been marked by public disagreements, with Carlson previously referring to Wallace as a “bitchy little man” during an interview with Donald Trump. Wallace’s latest comments on CNN underscore a deep division between the two former colleagues and highlight ongoing debates within media circles about the responsibilities of journalists when engaging with powerful political figures.
