ABC News’s Jonathan Karl says Tucker Carlson is plagiarizing Putin

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On Deadline: White House Thursday, ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl joined many others in accusing Fox News opinion host Tucker Carlson of parroting Russian propaganda. In the latest such incident, Carlson pushed the false Russian narrative that the U.S. is secretly running bioweapons labs in Ukraine. These labs that Russia and Carlson speak of are neither secret, nor do they produce bioweapons.

“He was giving credence to what the Russians are now saying, a really classic propaganda claim that the United States is manufacturing, or has been manufacturing chemical, biological weapons in Ukraine,” Karl said. “And Tucker Carlson used the segment to echo that claim, saying that he was at first skeptical about it, but now he’s convinced that there’s credence to it.”

Just an hour after Carlson’s segment aired, Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin appeared on Hannity, where she set the record straight on these biolabs, contradicting what Carlson had just said.

On Thursday, Karl posted a tweet highlighting other Russian propaganda narratives that Carlson has pushed.

“He says as just an aside that the United States encouraged Russia to invade Ukraine,” Karl said. “In what universe is that true? Only if you’re sitting in Moscow and watching Russian television because it’s exactly, again, what Vladimir Putin is saying.”

And Karl accused Carlson not just of pushing Russian propaganda, but also of plagiarizing Putin.

“What is sort of inexplicable here is that what is being said is almost a plagiarism of Vladimir Putin,” Karl said. “It’s almost word for word what Vladimir Putin has been saying, not just now, but again, for several years, and what he has said in making the argument to justify what’s happening in Ukraine.”

Video Transcript

JONATHAN KARL: What is being said is almost a plagiarism of Vladimir Putin. And it's almost word for word what Vladimir Putin has been saying not just now, but again for several years.

KYLIE MAR: On "Deadline White House" Thursday, ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl joined many in accusing Fox News opinion host Tucker Carlson of pushing Russian propaganda. Russia has falsely accused the United States of running bioweapons' labs in Ukraine. A narrative that Carlson propagated on his show on Wednesday.

JONATHAN KARL: He was giving credence to what the Russians are now saying, a really classic propaganda claim. Tucker Carlson used the segment to echo that claim. Say that he was at first skeptical about it, but now he's convinced that there's credence to it.

KYLIE MAR: Just one hour after Carlson's segment, Fox News' own national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin contradicted what Carlson had said about the biolabs. The following day, Karl posted a tweet containing other pieces of Russian propaganda that Carlson has pushed like the false narrative that the US encouraged Russia to invade Ukraine.

JONATHAN KARL: He says it's just an aside that the United States encouraged Russia to invade Ukraine. In what universe is that true? Only if you're sitting in Moscow and watching Russian television.

KYLIE MAR: And Karl wondered what piece of Russian propaganda Carlson might push next.

JONATHAN KARL: Today, Russian propaganda is saying that that maternity ward that was bombed was somehow a military facility. I mean, is that going to be echoed next? It is inexplicable. I can't explain it.