FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Kimmel Bashes Tucker Carlson Over ‘Overtly Ridiculous’ Putin Interview

“He’s a liar and a propagandist,” Kimmel said of Putin, “but Tuck thinks we just need to hear him out.”

It’s been nearly a year since Fox News and Tucker Carlson parted ways in April 2023, and we haven’t heard a whole lot from Rupert Murdoch’s former golden boy in the months since, except for the launch of his interview series on X, formerly known as Twitter. All that seems about to change, as Carlson is currently in Moscow, where he plans to interview Vladimir Putin—a decision that has Jimmy Kimmel promptly roasting the former Fox host.

“Tucker Carlson still doesn’t have a job,” Kimmel joked on Monday. “He’s in Moscow—house-hunting I hope.”

Kimmel had some trouble attempting to wrap his head around why Carlson thought his interview with the Russian president was a good idea. And he’s not the only one. In fact, even Carlson seems like maybe he’s thinking the same thing.

Kimmel has another way to describe the tête-à-tête: “Overtly ridiculous.” That’s why, according to Kimmel, Carlson decided to test the waters and share a video ahead of the sit-down to “nervously explain” his decision, according to Kimmel.

“Vladimir Putin: He’s a murderer, he’s a war criminal, he hates America, he hates everything America stands for,” Kimmel continued. “He’s a liar and a propagandist—but Tuck thinks we just need to hear him out.”

In a quick moment from Carlson’s own video, which elicited some big laughs, the 54-year-old seemingly boasts about how he’s the “only journalist” willing to do the hard work and interview the president of “the other country involved in this conflict.”

It was the use of the word “involved” that really seemed to tickle Kimmel.

“It’s like saying that in Jaws, the great white shark was involved in the biting. It takes two to be eaten, you know?”

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Jennifer M. Wood

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