Tucker Carlson and the NSA

Carlson Career

Tucker Carlson is known for his role as a television host and political commentator.  The host of Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, Carlson has been described as a nationalist and has been accused of being prejudiced due to controversial comments made about women, immigrants and people of color.  That aside, his talk show became one of the most watched cable news shows reaching an average of 4.3 million viewers according to Business Insider. 

Carlson has had an illustrious career in journalism and several print journalism positions. Here is a brief summary of his prior work in the media, plus a few

After a story on O.J. Simpson, Carlson went to work for CNN After his show was cancelled at CNN, Carlson went to MSNBC After leaving MSNBC, Carlson went to Fox News as a contributor and guest host for the Sean Hannity show. In 2010 launched his website, The Daily Caller. Then he competed on Dancing with the Stars 2016 and finally, Carlson landed his own show on Fox News. 

One can see that Carlson has stayed quite busy over the course of his long tenure in the media sector.

Recently, Carlson accused the NSA of monitoring him for the purpose of silencing him.  Here is what you need to know about the NSA and Tucker and his dealings with the National Security Agency (NSA).

History of the NSA 

 The NSA (National Security Agency) has been a subject of scrutiny and controversy since its inception in 1952 by Harry S. Truman. 

Its origins actually date back to 1917 when it was the Cipher Bureau of Military Intelligence.  It was instrumental in communications intelligence in World War 1.  After the war ended, the Cipher Bureau shifted its focus from military to diplomatic intelligence.  Even in its infancy, the Bureau’s access to telegraph companies and their communications prompted criticism and, in the Hoover, administration was closed as Hoover did not see the need for peacetime surveillance. 

It did continue to operate in World War II and was moved to Fort Meade, Maryland and renamed the NSA by President Truman. It still resides in Fort Meade today.  The NSA made contributions to intelligence during the Cold War and the foundation of the Berlin Wall.  The first controversy came in the 1970s on the heels of Watergate. It was found that the NSA had spied on telegrams of private citizens that were civil rights leaders and those they thought were against the Vietnam War.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was enacted in 1978 with the purpose of monitoring the NSA with what information it could collect.  The NSA has had its share of whistleblowers.  One such person who was in the news spotlight was Edward Snowden and the claims he made that the agency was spying on Americans and some of its Allied leaders.  He was branded a dissident and a traitor and was granted residency in Russia. 

Carlson VS. the NSA 

 Recently, Carlson made statements on Fox News that an unnamed whistleblower advised him that the NSA was spying on him and monitoring his communications so they could have his show cancelled. 

He claimed that private emails were leaked to the media. This was around the time that he was pursuing and interview with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.  He also stated that Biden is trying to gain leverage against conservative journalists.  

The NSA refuted the claims stating that they rarely monitor US citizens.  Some parties such as the Libertarian Party of Texas are calling for funding to immediately cease for the agency, and the Republican Representative Lauren Bobert called for The House Committee on Oversight and Reform should perform a thorough investigation of the NSA.  If these allegations are found to be true, criminal charges could be filed against individuals who violated citizen rights.