It's easy to criticize, more difficult to actually do.
I'm ambivalent to Carlson myself. When still on FOX, his stereotypically "vulgar American" comments about Canada sometimes left me cold, and Canada is already cold enough!
Other times Carlson held simplistic views about the nature of "work" and other topics, which led me to change the channel.
I rarely watch his show on X.
But to be fair and balanced, he is the only Western journalist or media personality to actually venture into Russia and interview Putin after the onset of the Ukraine war.
Since that historical interview, Carlson has been criticized as being "Putin's useful idiot" and also for soft-peddling on several contentious issues during their conversation. Even Putin himself says he would have liked more "sharp questions" from Carlson because he had "sharp replies" on the ready.
Speaking with a state television host, Mr. Putin said he was disappointed that Mr. Carlson had not asked "so-called sharp questions" because he wanted the opportunity to "respond sharply" in his own answers. - New York TImes
Personally, I believe Putin is rewriting the narrative to try to make his tedious 'history lesson' look like Carlson's fault instead of his own. His "disappointment" in Carlson is a dishonest attempt to shift the spotlight away from his own evasive rhetoric.
Danger All Around
Let's not forget that Carlson was actually in Russia---his physical presence in that totalitarian state cannot be ignored. Look at what happens to other Westerners in Russia. They often get locked up on charges of spying. If I were Carlson I'd be terrified and would soft-peddle myself. We have to remember who he was talking to and where he was. The interview wasn't a FaceTime call. Carlson was right there, ready to be arrested and possibly left to wither away and die like Alexei Navalny if Putin so demanded it.
So to Carlson's critics, I repeat - easy to criticize, much harder to actually do.
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