Tucker Carlson is yet to speak out about the shock death of Putin’s political opponent Alexei Navalny – that comes just days after the former Fox firebrand’s controversial interview with the Russian president and bizarre videos praising Russian supermarkets.
Russian news outlets announced Navalny’s death on Friday morning, citing the Siberian prison service where he was serving a nineteen-year sentence for ‘extremism’, sparking shock and anger around the globe.
‘On February 16, 2024, in correctional colony No. 3, convict Navalny A.A. felt unwell after a walk, almost immediately losing consciousness,’ said a statement from prison officials. ‘Emergency doctors confirmed the death of the convict,’ it added.
Global leaders, including the Latvian president, have laid blame for Navalny death at Putin’s feet.
Carlson is yet to make a statement about the death of Putin’s fiercest critic, who previously survived an assassination attempt involving the Novichok nerve agent.
Tucker Carlson released a bizarre interview with Putin in which the Russian president controlled the narrative
The Russian Prison Service announced Alexei Navalny’s death on Friday morning
In another bizarre video Carlson praised Russia for its low grocery store prices
It comes just days after the former Fox News presenter released a bizarre interview with Putin in which the Russian president controlled the narrative and made a series of claims about his invasion of Ukraine.
Carlson heaped praise on Russia throughout, ‘what was shocking for me what the city of Moscow, where I had never been. It is so much nicer than any city in my country’ he effused.
‘I had no idea. It is so much cleaner, and safer and prettier, aesthetically. Its architecture, food, and services than in any city in the United States. And this is not ideological.
In another bizarre video Carlson praised Russia for its low grocery store prices and fresh produce.
The former Fox News firebrand wheeled a grocery cart around a Russian superstore while marveling at the stock as he continued his Putin PR tour earlier this week.
In a video uploaded to his social media accounts Carlson 54, exclaims, ‘Look at that!’ while sniffing a loaf of bread as jovial music plays.
Navalny was last seen via video link during a court hearing on Thursday
Navalny with his wife Yulia Navalnya, 47, with whom he has two children
Carlson reaches the checkout and notices the equivalent $400 price-tag for a weeks-worth of groceries for him and his team.
The former presenter says the revelation moved him from feeling ‘amused to legitimately angry’ that his home country apparently charges much more for basics like food.
The video drew widespread ridicule from people online, as many pointed out the disparity between the average wage in Russia – which is the equivalent of $9072 – or 6.5 times less than the average US salary of $59,428.
Navalny was last seen via video link during a court hearing on Thursday.
Dressed in black prison uniform, he appeared to be in good spirits – his trademark humour back on show.
‘Your Honour, I will send you my personal account number so that you can use your huge salary as a federal judge to ‘warm up’ my personal account, because I am running out of money,’ he said.
Navalny’s mother Lyudmila said she had seen her son in the prison colony on Monday. At the time, she said: ‘He was alive, healthy, cheerful.’
Navalny’s spokesperson said on the X social media platform that she was unable to confirm his death. Kira Yarmysh said that Navalny’s lawyer was travelling to the site of the prison where he had been serving his sentence.
Putin seen at the Chelyabinsk Forge-and-Press Plant in Chelyabinsk, Russia on Friday
The Kremlin has not yet made an official statement on Navalny’s death
Leonid Volkov, a Navalny aide, said: ‘The Federal Penitentiary Service in the Yamalo-Nenets District is disseminating news about the death of Alexei Navalny in IK-3.
‘We don’t have any confirmation of this yet. Alexey’s lawyer is now flying to Kharp. As soon as we have any information, we will report it.’
Tucker Carlson couldn’t be bothered to ask about Navalny’s poisoning and unjust imprisonment—too busy being Putin’s fanboy and gushing over subways and groceries’ Julia Davis, founder of Russian Media Monitor, wrote on X.
‘Navalny was just killed by Putin while Tucker Carlson does propaganda for the Kremlin at Russian grocery stores and metro stations I cannot believe this reality we are living in’ Andrew Mercado wrote on X.