Tucker Carlson said Saturday that the CIA read his text messages before the war with Iran and is seeking to have him charged as an unregistered foreign agent.

In a video posted on X, the former Fox News host said the agency had recommended a criminal referral to the Justice Department based on his contacts with people in Iran before the conflict. Carlson said the such case would likely rely on the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires people working on behalf of foreign governments in U.S. politics to register with the Department of Justice.

Subscribe Today

Get daily emails in your inbox

Email Address:

Carlson denied working for Tehran or taking money from any foreign country, and said that speaking with sources abroad was part of his work as a journalist and commentator. 

“I’m not an agent of a foreign power,” he said. “Unlike a lot of people commenting on U.S. politics and global affairs, I have only one loyalty and that’s the United States, and have never acted against it.” 

Carlson suggested the investigation was politically motivated. “There are some people who are mad at me for my views about Israel,” he noted.