Democrat says Tucker Carlson viewers telling his office US should side with Russia

A House Democrat asserted Monday that people have called his office claiming to be Fox News viewers and telling him the U.S. should be "siding with Russia" as tensions between Russia and Ukraine intensify.

"My office is now getting calls from folks who say they watch Tucker Carlson and are upset that we're not siding with Russia in its threats to invade Ukraine, and who want me to support Russia's 'reasonable' positions," Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) said in a tweet on Monday afternoon.

During an interview with The Hill on Monday evening, Malinowski said the feedback, which he said came in a flurry of calls to his staff earlier in the day, is an example of the growing partisan divide in America and the media's role in it.

"People get their opinions by watching the news, that's nothing new," he said. "What is new is we have at least one talk show host with a huge captive audience that is not exposed to any counter-programming elsewhere ... I find that very concerning."

Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tensions between the U.S. and Russia have increased in recent weeks as Russia has amassed at least 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border, leading to fears of a possible invasion.

President Biden said last week if Russia were to invade Ukraine, as it did in 2014, such an action would be met with swift and severe pushback from the United States.

The Pentagon said Monday it was putting 8,500 U.S. troops on higher alert over the ongoing tensions in Eastern Europe, while NATO leaders have also vowed a united response to Russian aggression.

Carlson, Fox's top-rated host, has argued there is little for the United States to gain by getting involved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In an op-ed published on FoxNews.com over the weekend, Carlson accused "neocons in Washington" of "recklessly stoking conflict" between Russia and Ukraine for years and warning the United States could find itself in an all-out war with Russia if tensions are not deescalated.

"We're really going to fight a war over some corrupt Eastern European country that is strategically irrelevant to us? With everything else that's going on right now in our own country?" Carlson wrote. "No normal person would ever want to do anything like that. How can it really happen?"

Malinowski was elected to represent New Jersey's highly competitive 8th District in 2018 and is a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees.

-Updated at 7:24 p.m.