The Fox Host told viewers the leaks were proof of a secret U.S. hot war with Russia, contradicting reporting from his own network.
On Thursday night, FOX NEWS’ TUCKER CARLSON offered an unusual defense of suspected intelligence leaker Jack Teixeira. The primetime host claimed that Teixeira was arrested to cover up a covert, illegal US presence in Ukraine, as well as punishment for opposing “the National Security State and their obedient servants in the media.”
Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Air National Guard, is suspected of posting highly classified documents on a private Discord server. The documents were later reposted to other public forums from the server.
“Tonight, the news media is celebrating the kid who told Americans what’s really going on in Ukraine,” Carlson told viewers. “They’re treating him like Osama Bin Laden, maybe even worse, because, unlike Al Qaeda, this kid is apparently a racist,” he continued. According to reports, the Discord server where Teixeira shared the documents contained several racist memes.
Tucker: The news media are celebrating the capture of the kid who told Americans what is actually happening in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/WnB6z4a6Uc
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 14, 2023
Carlson focused on a section of the documents that mention the number of special forces stationed in Ukraine and their various home countries. The document states that 14 US special forces are stationed in Ukraine.
“The United States is a direct combatant in Russia’s war.” “As we speak, American soldiers are fighting Russian soldiers,” Carlson claimed, “in a hot war between the world’s two primary nuclear superpowers.” Despite this, the war has never been formally declared. Congress has not given its approval. As a result, this war is a violation of American law. It’s a felony.”
A current US official told ABC News that the special forces were not engaged in active combat. ABC spoke with several US officials who stated that a small US military special operations team has been stationed at the US Embassy in Kyiv since the beginning of the war. The contingent is primarily responsible for embassy and VIP security, strategic planning, and intelligence assistance.
Fox's own correspondent reported that the US Special Forces stationed in Ukraine are part of an embassy attache, not combat troops. But Tucker Carlson is on air claiming their presence is an act of war. https://t.co/TNzJSDxNgV pic.twitter.com/OZtJDDr14m
— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) April 14, 2023
According to Fox News Jacqui Heinrich, National Security Council member John Kirby confirmed to the network that the embassy’s special forces presence was not providing battlefield support. Carlson previously attempted to have Heinrich fired for on-air fact-checking former President Trump’s claims of election fraud.
Carlson lashed out at the media for failing to recognize Teixeira as a whistleblower. In an ironic twist, Fox News recently fired one of Carlson’s producers after she raised allegations of discrimination and legal coercion while working for the network, claiming she had violated “privileged communications” expectations.
Nonetheless, Carlson has joined a growing number of right-wing figures and lawmakers in defending Teixeira. Earlier that night, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed that the Biden administration was persecuting Teixeira because he was “white, male, Christian, and antiwar.” Last year, the congresswoman described the leak of a draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade as “basically like an insurrection of the Supreme Court.”
