Tucker Carlson openly accused CNN of being tipped off by special counsel Robert Mueller’s office about Friday’s early-morning FBI raid of Roger Stone, telling his audience Monday evening that there was “no question” about how the network was able to film the Trump confidant’s arrest.
“Of course CNN talked to Mueller’s people before the raid. There was never any doubt about that,” Carlson said, without citing any evidence to support the claim. “All the barking aside, Mueller wanted the raid on Roger Stone’s home caught on tape and publicly aired as a warning to other disobedient witnesses about what can happen to you if you step out of line.
“CNN was happy to oblige, so CNN acted as the public relations arm of the Mueller investigation as they have before and then they lied about it in the most self-righteous possible way,” he added.
Reps for CNN and Fox News did not immediately respond to request for comment. The Special Counsel’s office declined to comment.
In a tweet to Media Matters staffer Andrew Lawrence, CNN communications chief Matt Dornic said he sent this response to a producer of Carlson’s show: “As for our sourcing — while I fully grasp the angle and intent of your show, your network still contains the word ‘news’ in its title so surely you know that journalists don’t disclose their sources. That said, we’ve made it abundantly clear what clues led us to Stone’s house — a news gathering effort that would be unnecessary if we’d been told to be there.”
On Friday, Stone was formally charges with multiple felonies including five counts of false statements and one count of witness tampering, according to the Washington Post. The move followed months of speculation that his indictment was imminent. Stone, a longtime Trump confidante, was himself picked up by the feds in a pre-dawn raid outside his Fort Lauderdale home. A New York City home and Florida recording studio were also raided.
CNN captured the Stone raid on tape running with exclusive footage of the raid all day. The network, however, immediately faced questions from some (like Carlson) who said there was no way they could have been on hand to capture the moment unless they were tipped off by an insider, whether from Mueller’s office or the FBI, which conducted the arrest.
Stone has repeatedly professed his innocence on Instagram and in a flurry of media appearances. He formally pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on Tuesday.
11 Media Winners of 2018, From Hope Hicks to Rachel Maddow (Photos)
2018 was a tumultuous year for members of the media. For many, even most, it was a grim period of layoffs, consolidations and paywalls. But for others, it was a year full of triumphs.
Wrap
Sean Hannity: The Fox News host would have appeared on TheWrap's list of media winners simply for hosting the #1-rated cable news show on TV, but it's his unique personal relationship with President Trump, who he is known to call regularly, that made him the only choice for the top spot.
Getty
Bryan Goldberg: In an otherwise ugly year for media, which was marred by layoffs and consolidations, the Bustle kingpin proved a standout success. His acquisitions of Gawker and Mic.com for bargain-basement discounts suggest plans for a burgeoning digital empire.
Los Angeles Times: The iconic LA broadsheet was well on its way to the losers' column under the disastrous leadership of Tronc. The paper, however, was rescued by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong for a half-billion dollars. Now, in swanky new offices, the paper is expanding.
Getty
Chris Cuomo: The CNN anchor had always been a standout on the network's morning show, "New Day," but he really came into his own after a move to primetime in June of this year. Cuomo is still way behind his rivals at MSNBC and Fox News, but he has injected new life into the hour, which had been moribund under its earlier host Anderson Cooper.
CNN
Hope Hicks: The former White House communications director and Trump whisperer managed to leave the White House scandal-free and with her reputation intact in February. She then landed herself a plush new gig at "new" Fox where she serves as comms chief. Just 30 years old, it's a good bet you'll be hearing more of her in the years to come.
The Washington Examiner: The Trump-leaning D.C. tabloid got a jolt of new energy after poaching New York Post Op-Ed editor Seth Mandel. The paper will also be expanding nationally next year, largely off the carcass of its sister publication The Weekly Standard (which will be shuttered).
YouTube
Ronan Farrow: Once an obscure MSNBC journalist, Ronan Farrow has rocketed to fame while reporting some of the biggest stories of the MeToo movement. His pieces for the New Yorker on Harvey Weinstein, Les Moonves and New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman all played a significant role in ending their careers. He nabbed a Pulitzer Prize for his efforts, and — in his spare time — managed to write a bestselling book on foreign policy.
Getty
Shari Redstone: The National Amusements super-boss spent much of 2018 scheming against her rival, former CBS chief Les Moonves, and attempting to force a merger between CBS and Viacom. A MeToo scandal put Moonves away for good and now makes the merger a near certainty.
Fox & Friends: President Trump watches the nation's top cable news morning show with near religious devotion. As he has since 2011, he sometimes calls in to offer lengthy monologues about world issues. Segments from the show are regularly repackaged into the president's Twitter feed and can shape news cycles for days. When hosts are upset with him, they have occasionally looked directly into the camera to tell him so.
Getty
Rachel Maddow: America in the Trump era has also created a crop of #resistance heroes, with the brightest star being Rachel Maddow. The MSNBC host expounds nightly on the latest details of the Russia probe and delivers lurid speculation about how the latest scandal will be the one to take the president down. Maddow and her program have been rewarded in the ratings, making her the most significant (non-Fox) anchor in cable news by far.
Getty
Megyn Kelly: Yes, she may have lost her NBC show. But the ratings had been sagging and everyone agreed it was a bad fit anyway. Now the former "Today" star is poised to walk with a roughly $30-million severance package, and if you don't think a tell-all book is coming, you haven't been paying attention.
While 2018 was a tough year for many, a few media folks had their best year ever
2018 was a tumultuous year for members of the media. For many, even most, it was a grim period of layoffs, consolidations and paywalls. But for others, it was a year full of triumphs.