Tucker Carlson Says CIA Monitored His Texts Before Iran War and Branded the Potential Charges 'Ludicrous'

Tucker Carlson has gone public with a claim that the Central Intelligence Agency has been monitoring his private text messages and is preparing a criminal referral against him to the Department of Justice. The conservative commentator made the allegation in a video posted to X on Saturday, saying the referral is tied to conversations he had with Iranian contacts before the recent conflict with Iran.

Carlson did not provide evidence to substantiate the claim. Neither the CIA nor the DOJ has publicly confirmed or denied the allegations.

'They Read My Texts'

In the five-minute video, Carlson described learning that intelligence officials had accessed his communications with Iranian contacts in the lead-up to the US-Israel war on Iran, which began on 28 February. 'The CIA has been reading my texts,' Carlson stated. 'They have intercepted my private communications with contacts in Iran in the period leading up to the beginning of the current conflict. And on the basis of those texts — texts! — they are preparing to accuse me of being an unregistered foreign agent under FARA.'

The Foreign Agents Registration Act, enacted in 1938, requires individuals acting on behalf of foreign principals in political or influence activities to disclose that relationship publicly. A wilful violation can carry up to five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 (£197,500).

Carlson flatly rejected the underlying allegation. 'Legally, I think the case is ludicrous, and I doubt it will even become a case,' he said, adding: 'I'm not an agent of a foreign power. Unlike a lot of people commenting on US politics and global affairs, I have only one loyalty, and that's the United States, and have never acted against it.' He further argued that speaking with foreign sources is standard journalistic practice. 'It's my job to talk to everybody all the time and try to figure out what's happening around the world,' he said.

Views on Israel and the CIA

Carlson also suggested the referral may be politically motivated, pointing to his vocal criticism of US and Israeli military action in Iran. 'There are some people who are mad at me for my views about Israel and they have some latitude,' Carlson said. He argued the tactic was part of a broader pattern used by intelligence agencies to intimidate dissenting voices during wartime — passing criminal complaints to law enforcement to 'justify warrants for spying on Americans' and to leak the existence of investigations to the media.

Carlson alleged the tactic had been used against him on a previous occasion: while attempting to arrange an interview with Vladimir Putin during his time at Fox News, he claimed the NSA accessed his text messages and leaked them to the New York Times.

Loomer Takes Credit, Trump Parts Ways

The claims quickly drew fire from within conservative circles. Right-wing activist Laura Loomer took to X to claim a personal role in the matter. 'You have no idea how relentless I have been in speaking to GOP reps and even reporting Tucker to law enforcement and the DOJ. I pray my efforts are successful,' Loomer posted. She also resurfaced a February 2026 video of Carlson in Saudi Arabia alongside his brother Buckley Carlson and Tucker Carlson Network CEO Neil Patel, suggesting it showed improper foreign influence.

Carlson's break from the MAGA movement has been building for some time. President Trump publicly distanced himself, saying: 'Tucker has lost his way. He's not MAGA.' Senator Ted Cruz has separately called Carlson 'the single most dangerous demagogue in this country,' a charge Carlson has rejected.

Legal Context

FARA prosecutions remain relatively rare, and legal analysts say the bar for charging a journalist is high — prosecutors must demonstrate the individual acted under foreign direction and, typically, received compensation for doing so. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has previously argued in court filings that FARA's broad language could be used to target constitutionally protected journalism, particularly when national security concerns are cited to justify surveillance of journalists' communications.

Whether or not a formal charge is filed, the episode has raised significant questions about the boundaries of government surveillance of journalists in wartime — and about the political pressures bearing down on media figures who have broken with the administration over the Iran conflict.