Just hours after his colleague tweeted Wednesday that Vladimir Putin is the “likely culprit” in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline attack, Tucker Carlson blasted that theory on-air, calling it “idiotic” and that anyone in the media supporting it was “insane.”
The night before, Carlson took the position that the attack had been orchestrated by the Biden administration.
In a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, an unnamed Senior Military Official told Fox News’s Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin that the U.S. was “absolutely not involved.” Griffin tweeted that report on Wednesday, writing, “There is no evidence or indication the US was involved in any way with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline explosion.”
In another tweet she added, “US officials and European allies say attack on Nord Stream 2 appears to be ‘sabotage,’ evidence suggests ‘state actor.’ ‘Likely culprit: Russia’ question is why? One official: ‘Did Putin order to prove Mad Man theory, to make his nuclear threat more plausible?’
During his nightly broadcast, Carlson mocked the idea that Putin would blow up his own pipeline. “Whatever you think of him, Vladimir Putin, he may be evil, but he’s not stupid. Those were his pipelines. Russia paid for them and critically, they gave Russia leverage over the rest of the world,” he said.
“So based on the evidence, the likely suspect is not Vladimir Putin. Obviously, blame Putin for whatever you want. But he clearly didn’t do this.”
Carlson also disagreed with the UK’s the Daily Mail for its headline, “What Putin Could Gain from blowing up the Nord Stream Gas Pipeline,” declaring: “What? The article noted that quote, ‘conspiracy theories abound,’ the conspiracy theory being if you suspect that maybe Putin didn’t do it, you’re crazy.”
He scoffed at the idea that Putin blew up the pipeline “as part of a terrifying new attempt to intimidate the West,” asking, “By destroying his own country? This is insane. It’s idiotic. Now, again, we can’t say who did it … We’re pretty sure who didn’t do it. And telling us otherwise is just too insulting. Actually, save it for dumb people, please,” Carlson said in conclusion.
On Thursday, Glenn Greenwald agreed with Carlson, saying that the U.S. is always too quick to paint Russia as the villain.
Fox News did not immediately to TheWrap’s request to comment. Video of the exchanges was posted on Mediaite.