Tucker Carlson Praised on Russian TV After Criticizing Zelensky's Clothes

Fox News host Tucker Carlson railed against Ukraine's president in a scathing segment on Wednesday, drawing condemnation from the left—and, apparently, adulation from the Russian media.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, BBC Monitoring journalist Francis Scarr called out Carlson over his recent remarks about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Carlson had insulted the way that Zelensky chose to dress when he visited the White House and delivered a congressional address on Wednesday.

"Fox News host Tucker Carlson is being showered with praise on Russian state TV today after he criticised of Zelensky's visit to Washington," Scarr tweeted. "So far I've heard him called 'wonderful' and 'delightful', and I'm only halfway through the show I'm watching."

"Today, the president of Ukraine arrived at the White House like the manager of a strip club and started to demand money," Carlson said during his Wednesday night show.

Since then, some on social media have pushed back against Carlson, explaining that Zelensky opts to remain in a green uniform in solidarity with Ukraine's troops.

Carlson also questioned why politicians on either side of the aisle support backing Ukraine financially in its war with Russia. He called it a "humiliating scenario" for the U.S. to be giving aid amid its own economic struggles.

One Twitter user quipped on Thursday that Russia is likely pleased with the Fox host's latest anti-Zelensky rant.

"NEW: Tucker Carlson's handlers in the Kremlin are very happy with his response to President Zelensky's speech last night," @RpsAgainstTrump wrote. "He's being showered with praises on Russian state TV: 'The wonderful Tucker Carlson,' they called him. #TuckerCarlsonIsARussianAsset."

Russia's purported admiration for Carlson isn't new. Daily Beast columnist Julia Davis tweeted in September that "translated clips of Tucker Carlson are still an ever-present feature on Russian state TV, rivaled only by those of Scott Ritter, Douglas Macgregor and Trump."

Earlier this year, the Kremlin reportedly asked the Russian media to include more clips of Carlson, calling the move "essential," according to Mother Jones. Newsweek reported in September that Russian state TV had used clips of Carlson in its pro-war propaganda.

Carlson isn't the only conservative figure to have shunned Zelensky during his visit to Washington. Republican Representatives Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz remained seated amid a standing ovation during the Ukrainian president's Wednesday address.

Afterward, Representative Ritchie Torres, a Democrat from New York, chastised his colleagues and the Fox News host in a tweet.

"Tucker Carlson, Lauren Boebert, and Matt Gaetz stand with Putin; most of America stands with Zelensky and the people of Ukraine," Torres wrote. "The contrast between the far right and most of America has never been more glaring."

Newsweek reached out to Fox News for comment.

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