The Reason Tucker Carlson Thinks He Was Being Spied On Is Turning Heads
Fox News host Tucker Carlson has accused the National Security Agency (NSA) of spying on him. According to Axios, sources revealed that Carlson made the claims shortly after conversing with U.S.-based Kremlin representatives about a potential interview with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. The same sources also revealed that Carlson's spying accusations emerged when he became aware that U.S. officials had learned about his work to secure an interview with the Russian leader.
As Forbes reported, Carlson alleged that the NSA managed to gain access to his private communications, including text messages and emails, in order to retrieve information that could lead to him losing his Fox News gig.
The accusations inspired the National Security Agency to release a rare and strongly-worded statement denying his claims. "Tucker Carlson has never been an intelligence target of the Agency and the NSA has never had any plans to try to take his program off the air," part of the statement read (via Twitter).
Tucker Carlson provided little evidence to support his claims
Speaking previously on his own Fox News show, Carlson provided little evidence to support his claims of being spied on by the NSA. However, he did state that within the emails between himself and U.S.-based Kremlin intermediaries, "no one outside the recipient could have known" the details of what had been discussed (via Forbes).
As Buzzfeed News reported, the NSA is required to obtain a court order to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens under federal law, and only have permission to do so if they believe a suspect is working with a foreign power.
In a statement, the investigative producer for Fox's "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Alex Pfeiffer, made an official request for any "call records, texts, or emails" obtained from "journalist Tucker Carlson's cell phone or email" by the NSA. "I am requesting any memos or documents related to surveilling journalist Tucker Carlson. I am requesting any communication between NSA officials regarding journalist Tucker Carlson," he wrote.