The conservative media world exploded Saturday night when Tucker Carlson alleged the CIA is building a criminal case against him. His claim: intelligence agencies read his private text messages with Iranian contacts before the war and now plan to charge him as an unregistered foreign agent. The Tucker Carlson CIA claim immediately went viral, drawing millions of views and fierce pushback from multiple directions.
In a video posted to X, the former Fox News host detailed what he called an unfolding government operation against him. “The CIA is preparing some kind of criminal referral against me, a crime report to the Department of Justice, based on a supposed crime I committed,” Carlson said. “What’s that crime? Well, talking to people in Iran before the war. They read my texts.”
Carlson suggested the potential charge would fall under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a 1938 law requiring anyone paid by foreign governments for political advocacy to register with the Justice Department. He forcefully denied any wrongdoing.
“I’m not an agent of a foreign power,” Carlson stated. “Unlike a lot of people commenting on US politics and global affairs, I have only one loyalty and that’s the United States, and have never acted against it.” He added that he has “never taken money from anybody. Don’t need it, don’t want it.”
The commentator framed the alleged surveillance as politically motivated, pointing to his outspoken criticism of Israel and the recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran. “There are some people who are mad at me for my views about Israel,” he said, suggesting intelligence officials have “latitude” to target dissenting voices during wartime.
Within 24 hours, top Trump administration officials poured cold water on the narrative. Axios White House correspondent Marc Caputo reported that multiple officials called “bullsh*t” on Carlson’s claim, specifically denying three key points: there is no CIA investigation of Carlson; Trump did not mislead him during recent White House meetings; and no intelligence agency has referred the case to the Justice Department.
“The online chatter about @TuckerCarlson looked like quite a story,” Caputo wrote. “But top admin officials say it’s bullsh*t.” A source added that Trump “wasn’t participating in an op” during their recent conversations, dismissing speculation the president knowingly fed Carlson disinformation to pass to Iran.
Ben Shapiro went further, shredding Carlson’s claims on his podcast. “Maybe this is yet another stupid cycle of Jussie Smollett victimhood from the same grievance party that always traffics in such faux-victimhood,” Shapiro said, pointing to Carlson’s “history of lying” including a 2021 claim the NSA was spying on him.
Shapiro noted Carlson’s son works as Vice President JD Vance’s deputy press secretary, making it “hard to believe the Trump administration is targeting him.” He added: “I believe him when he says he’s not being paid by outside sources. I think Tucker Carlson is being truly anti-American all on his own.”
Carlson’s relationship with Trump has soured dramatically. The president called the commentator’s criticism of Operation Epic Fury “absolutely disgusting and evil” and publicly declared Carlson “not MAGA.” In a March 5 ABC interview, Trump said: “Tucker has lost his way. I knew that a long time ago.”
The rift stems partly from Carlson’s July 2025 interview with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which critics called a propaganda platform. Carlson also recently toured the Middle East, meeting with Christian leaders critical of Israeli policy. His public spat with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee reportedly led to being briefly detained at Ben Gurion Airport.
Neither the CIA nor the Justice Department has commented. Carlson acknowledged he doesn’t “expect this to go anywhere” legally, saying he’s “not too worried about an actual criminal case.” But he framed his warning as larger than personal grievance.
“Countries tend to become more authoritarian in wartime,” Carlson said. “The US intelligence community spies on Americans. There’s no justification for your government violating your privacy like this. But it happens all the time.”
For now, Carlson’s claim hangs in the air, unverified by evidence, denied by officials, and fiercely debated across the political spectrum. Whether it becomes a lasting story or fades into the endless churn of media controversy depends on what comes next. So far, nothing has.
