Tucker Carlson said the U.S. government could file criminal charges against him under a foreign agents law, alleging that intelligence officials read his text messages before the war with Iran.
In a video message posted on X, Carlson said the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had prepared a criminal referral to the US Department of Justice after reviewing his messages.
When you discover that the CIA has been reading your text messages to frame you for a crime. pic.twitter.com/XgoluHw8EG
– Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) March 14, 2026
“The CIA is preparing some type of criminal referral against me, a criminal report to the Department of Justice, based on an alleged crime that I committed,” Carlson said in the video.
Who is Tucker Carlson?
Tucker Carlson is an American television commentator and political host who was previously a prominent host on Fox News. He later launched his own shows and videos on the social media platform X.
Carlson is known for his commentary on American politics, foreign policy, and media issues.
In recent weeks, he has criticized the United States and Israel for attacks on Iran, including the military operation that killed Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
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He said the alleged crime was talking to people in Iran before the conflict began. “What is that crime? Well, talking to people in Iran before the war. They read my text messages,” he said.
Carlson said the possible charge was related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a U.S. law that requires people who work on behalf of foreign governments in political activities to register with the Justice Department.
He rejected the claim that he acted as a foreign agent. “I am not an agent of a foreign power,” Carlson said. “I only have one loyalty and it is the United States and I have never acted against it.”
Carlson also said he had never accepted money from a foreign government. “I have never received money from a foreign power. I don’t need it, I don’t want it,” he said.
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He added that as an American citizen, he had the right to talk to people from other countries. “Legally, I think the case is ridiculous and I doubt it will become a case,” Carlson said.
Carlson also suggested that some intelligence officials might be targeting him because of his views on Israel and the war with Iran. “Some people are angry with me for my views on Israel and they have some freedom,” he said.
He also said intelligence agencies sometimes pass complaints to authorities to obtain surveillance warrants. “One of the reasons they pass on current criminal complaints to authorities is to justify espionage orders,” Carlson said.
US President Donald Trump has also criticized Carlson in recent weeks for his comments on the conflict.
