Conservative media personality Tucker Carlson on Tuesday expressed his admiration for Moscow, describing it as “nicer” than any city in the United States, after an exclusive interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What Happened: Carlson, during an interview at the World Government Summit, shared his thoughts on his recent visit to Moscow. He praised the city’s cleanliness, aesthetics, food, and service, deeming it superior to any U.S. city, reported The Hill.
“And the most radicalizing thing for me in the eight days I spent in Moscow was not just the leader of the country,” Carlson said.
“What was very shocking, very disturbing was the city of Moscow, where I’d never been … it was so much nicer than any city in my country,” he said, calling Moscow “so much cleaner, and prettier aesthetically — its architecture, its food, its service — than any city in the United States.”
See Also: Trump Vs. Biden: National Poll Shows Slight Advantage For One Candidate In Tight Race
Carlson criticized the U.S. government for high crime rates, uncontrolled inflation, and overall government failure, drawing parallels with the decline seen in European cities like London and Paris. He, however, denied being anti-American stating, “No, I am the most pro-American.”
Why It Matters: The interview with Carlson was Putin’s first with a U.S. journalist since the invasion of Ukraine. The interview sparked controversy, with some suggesting that Carlson has been manipulated by Putin. The former Fox News host’s interview was seen by many as a missed opportunity to challenge Putin on key issues.
Former FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence, Frank Figliuzzi, argued that Putin used the interview to his advantage, and Carlson played right into his hands.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also slammed Carlson, labeling him a “useful idiot” for Putin. She disputed Carlson’s claim that no Western journalist had made an effort to interview Putin, a statement that was also challenged by the Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov.
Meanwhile, Russian dissident and former chess champion Garry Kasparov challenged Carlson to a face-to-face debate over his handling of the Putin interview, criticizing him for appearing “unable or unwilling to expose Putin’s lies.”
Photo by L.E.MORMILE on Shutterstock
This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image and article originally from www.benzinga.com. Read the original article here.