This past June, Tucker Carlson said that a government whistleblower told him that the NSA was spying on him.
NEW: Fox News host Tucker Carlson says a government whistleblower told his team that the NSA is spying on his team's electronic communications and is "planning to leak them in an attempt to take this show off the air." pic.twitter.com/DqOf6jndFC
— Daniel Chaitin (@danielchaitin7) June 29, 2021
Many in the media quickly suggested that Tucker Carlson was lying or, at the very least, that he’s a conspiracy theorist.
Notably, Fox PR gave a statement to the Post saying "we fully support" Tucker Carlson. For the past 2 weeks, execs have been silent while Carlson claimed to be a victim of NSA spying. We reported that Carlson was "furious" at Fox PR for not backing him up. Now comes this… pic.twitter.com/H6oM9kvNRD
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 14, 2021
Tucker Carlson is Alex Jones. pic.twitter.com/W2xIMHhQI1
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) July 4, 2021
Tucker Carlson claimed the FBI instigated the capitol attack on the 6th and that the NSA was trying to get his show canceled.
So people asked for evidence.
Then he just… stopped talking about it, and everyone has just shrugged their shoulders and moved on?
— John Iadarola (@johniadarola) August 6, 2021
Tucker Carlson’s NSA allegation fell apart, so he’s lying about it https://t.co/PD2kbay0sz
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 29, 2021
Another way you know Fox is not a news network: At a news network, the claim 'NSA spies on a journalist, wants him off the air' would be treated as a major scoop (if true) and the newsroom would follow up, work the phones, try to confirm. At Fox it's, "oh, that's Tucker's thing." https://t.co/tprex5C8yB
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) July 9, 2021
NSA review finds no evidence supporting Fox News host Tucker Carlson's claims that the agency was spying on him, sources say https://t.co/RusZZHchQX
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 26, 2021
Well, apparently the NSA has changed their mind, because the NSA IG is opening an investigation into Carlson’s claims:
Inbox: The inspector general for the NSA is opening an investigation into claims the agency “improperly targeted” a “member of the U.S. media” aka Tucker Carlson.
— Alex Weprin (@alexweprin) August 10, 2021
Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s claims that the National Security Agency improperly spied him are being investigated by the agency’s watchdog https://t.co/ZrNDJUrEEy
— kaitlin, political fashion police (@thefactualprep) August 10, 2021
Huh.
Sources say https://t.co/w4YIva3wCf pic.twitter.com/RDQDkKq4xV
— The Meturgeman (@HaMeturgeman) August 10, 2021
As we’ve said before, we have no way of knowing whether or not the NSA or anyone was spying on Tucker Carlson. But the fact that the NSA is looking into the matter at least suggests that they’re open to the possibility that Carlson’s claims could have merit.
If this happened, I don’t want to hear another Liberal bitch about the country of Hungary. https://t.co/naXlQhM4lC
— kaitlin, political fashion police (@thefactualprep) August 10, 2021
But we wouldn’t mind hearing from Drew Holden.
I see a @DrewHolden360 thread coming on all the Democracy & Norms crowd who told us we must be QAnon to think this might be true.
— Seth Lowe (@SethBLowe) August 10, 2021
Seth, know that I have been tending to these screenshots for awhile. And I think this story might just be a bumper crop.
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) August 10, 2021
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