Watch: Tucker Carlson Dumbfounded as Putin Mocks His CIA Dreams

Tucker Carlson lost complete control of his softball interview of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as pretty much everyone expected.

After spending roughly 30 minutes ranting about world history via Kremlin talking points, Putin suddenly flipped the script, mocking Carlson directly for applying—and failing—to join the CIA.

While on a tangent about how the ousting of former pro-Moscow Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych during the Maidan revolution was really the CIA’s fault, Putin took a pause to troll the conservative talk show host.

“The organization you wanted to join back in the day as I understand. We should thank God they didn’t let you in. Although it is a serious organization I understand,” the former KGB agent said through a translator.

Carlson attempted to join the intelligence agency after leaving Trinity College in Connecticut, but was rejected on the basis that “the real-life agency, unlike its fictional counterparts, prefers not to hire young men who are gabby and insubordinate,” according to a 2017 profile of Carlson by The New Yorker.

The whole setup was an embarrassing twist for the former Fox News anchor, who spent years sucking up to the de facto dictator, advocating against U.S. support for Ukraine, and calling for Americans to revisit their prejudices against Putin and the Russian government—even after Russian military officials were caught interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election—helping the commentator gain airtime in Russian state-run media outlets.

Carlson spent the better part of the much-hyped interview, which aired Thursday evening, sitting and listening while Putin ranted and raved, failing to press the indicted war criminal on any legitimate or worthwhile topics. Instead, the conversation sprawled across the concept of God, the Russian soul, and what Putin thought of U.S. President Joe Biden. It was the first time Putin had sat down for an interview with Western media since Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Putin also mentioned that his country would be open to a prisoner exchange to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained for almost a year on espionage charges for reporting on the nation.

Ahead of the interview’s release, White House officials attempted to dampen the messaging.

“Remember, you’re listening to Vladimir Putin. And you shouldn’t take at face value anything he has to say,” said White House national security spokesman John Kirby.

Meanwhile, another American journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, has been jailed in the country since October 18 for allegedly failing to register as a foreign agent, despite the fact that she also holds Russian citizenship.

But Putin—who effortlessly navigated the propaganda spot—clearly intended to use the segment as leverage over Americans and Russians. On Friday, Russian school students were spotted watching the interview in history classes.