טאקער קארלסאן לויבט יעצט אויס אן ארעסטירטן וואפן סוחר אלס א "חכם" ~ א שרייענדע סתירה צו זיינע פריערדיגע ווערטער ווען ער האט אים שארף אראפגעריסן אלס א פארברעכער.
Tucker Carlson's Praise For Convicted Arms Dealer Clashes With His Own 2022 Words
Tucker Carlson's recent interview with Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer once known as "The Merchant of Death," has drawn attention for the stark contrast between Carlson's past and present characterizations of his guest. In December 2022, Carlson described Bout as "an indisputably serious criminal who sold weapons to terror groups that killed Americans." On his show with Bout as a guest, however, Carlson told him directly, "You're a very wise man, I'm not ashamed to say that out loud." During that same interview, both men praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and repeated a number of claims about the war in Ukraine that have been disputed, and in several cases, demonstrably false or unsubstantiated.
Bout's criminal history is a matter of public record. He was convicted in 2011 on four federal counts following a Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation: conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens, conspiracy to kill U.S. officers and employees, conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization in the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and conspiracy to acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles. He was sentenced to 25 years in U.S. federal prison as a result of those convictions. Bout ultimately served approximately 10 years of that sentence before being released in December 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange that secured the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russian custody.
Had the prisoner swap not taken place, Bout's projected release date from federal custody was not scheduled until at least 2029. The interview, distributed by Milk Bar TV, has renewed scrutiny of how American media figures engage with individuals previously convicted of crimes tied to U.S. national security, particularly as the interview's content touched on contested narratives surrounding the war in Ukraine and favorable characterizations of Putin. Carlson's own past description of Bout as a serious criminal stands in direct contrast to the tone of admiration expressed during the more recent exchange.
