KILLING HIM SOFTLY? Tucker Carlson, seemingly the only former Fox News performer without an assignment in the new administration, made some news recently by saying on his podcast that “The Biden administration did, they tried to kill Putin. Carlson went on to say: “That’s demented, that you would even think of something like that. So why were they? Because chaos is a screen that protects them.” Who would believe such a claim? While we doubt they believed it, the Russian news agency TASS was happy to repeat it along with an additional claim that former Secretary of State Antony Blinken was “pushing so hard for a real war” between the U.S. and Russia during his last two months in office. Russian Media Monitor Julia Davis came through with a clip of state TV host Vladimir Solovyov insisting that Blinken be extradited to Russia for trial – based on Carlson’s claims. While Tucker may not have gotten an administration gig – we note that his son Buckley has been named deputy press secretary on Vice President Vance’s staff.
NO ROOM IN THE INN: Late last week, Defense Department leadership notified four news organizations that they were going to lose access to their coveted cubby holes in the Pentagon. Pentagon official Jonathan Ullyot said that NBC News, The New York Times, National Public Radio and Politico were being ousted as of February 14 to make room for One America News Network, The New York Post, Breitbart and The Huff Post. To be clear, the evicted news organizations will still be able to access the building and attend press conferences and the like – but particularly for the radio and TV types – it puts them at a disadvantage. When breaking news happens, network correspondents have been able to go to their booth, flip a switch on a robotic camera, and go live. Soon, team Peacock will have to hop in a car from the NBC bureau, summon a camera crew, cross the river and set up. Few observers missed the fact that the organizations getting access to the vacated space – like OANN and Breitbart – are much friendlier to the administration than the outfits being ousted. But here is something else that we haven’t seen much remarked on: Ullyot’s announcement said that this is part of a new “annual media rotation program.” That doesn’t mean that next year NBC gets back in…but more likely that CNN, CBS or ABC gets the heave ho. And here is the fiendishly clever part: for the next year, when correspondents from those networks are reporting on DOD – might they have in the back of their minds that if their reporting offends Team Hegseth too much – their network may be the next to follow NBC out the door? Are we suggesting that major news organizations might cave to subtle pressure? Recent evidence suggests: yes.
Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.
Sign Up Log In
