Tucker Carlson says the CIA read his text messages with people in Iran and claims the agency is trying to get him charged as a foreign agent.
The conservative commentator made the allegation in a video posted to X Saturday, saying the CIA is preparing a criminal referral to the Department of Justice tied to conversations he had before the recent conflict with Iran.
“The CIA is preparing some kind of criminal referral against me,” Carlson said. “What’s the crime? Talking to people in Iran before the war. They read my texts.”
Carlson claims the agency is pushing for charges under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires anyone working politically on behalf of foreign governments to register with the U.S. government.
He strongly denied being connected to the Iranian regime. “I’m not an agent of a foreign power,” Carlson said, adding he has never taken money from another country and his only loyalty is to the United States.
Carlson argued that speaking with foreign sources is simply part of his job. “It’s my job to talk to everybody all the time and try to figure out what’s happening around the world,” he said.
The pundit also suggested the situation could be politically motivated, pointing to backlash over his criticism of U.S. and Israeli actions involving Iran.
So far, neither the CIA nor the Department of Justice has publicly confirmed Carlson’s claims.