'Straight hypocrites': Internet condems European Union as it considers travel ban against Tucker Carlson for his Putin interview

WASHINGTON DC: The European Union is reportedly contemplating a travel ban against US news anchor Tucker Carlson.

This comes in the wake of his much-anticipated interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The interview, which has already been recorded, as per Independent is set to air at 6pm Eastern time (11pm GMT) on Carlson's website, per Independent.

The potential ban has been discussed among current and former members of the European Parliament, according to Newsweek.

Tucker Carlson's motto of interviewing Putin

In a video statement on Tuesday, Carlson clarified the rationale behind the interview, stating, "Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now."

"We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin....We are not encouraging you to agree with what Putin may say in this interview, but we are urging you to watch it. You should know as much as you can."

European Union is reportedly considering travel ban against Tucker Carlson

Carlson's activities in Russia might land the ex-Fox News presenter in trouble with the European Union, according to Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian Prime Minister and current member of the European Parliament, as reported by Newsweek.

Verhofstadt, who has suggested that the EU should consider a 'travel ban' on Carlson, characterized Carlson as a 'mouthpiece' for both former President Donald Trump and Putin.

He further stated, "As Putin is a war criminal and the EU sanctions all who assist him in that effort, it seems logical that the External Action Service examine his case as well."

Limitations in imposing sanctions

Even if there is ample support among European lawmakers and heads of state, any potential sanctions against Carlson might still be a long way off.

Members of the Parliament, on their own, reportedly lack the authority to impose sanctions.

Considering the intense debates within the Council over multiple rounds of sanctions—including those on individuals associated with the Kremlin—adding Carlson to this list would be a challenging task.

A European diplomatic official, who chose to remain anonymous as they were not authorized to speak publicly, informed Newsweek that any prospective travel restrictions would likely necessitate evidence linking him to Moscow's aggression, something that is either "is absent or hard to prove."

However, Luis Garicano, a former MEP, concurred with Verhofstadt's viewpoint in his conversation with the outlet.

He stated that Carlson "is no longer a newsman, but a propagandist for the most heinous regime on European soil and the one which is most dangerous to our peace and security."

EU faces backlash online over potential travel ban on Tucker Carlson

Musk voiced his criticism on his website X (formerly Twitter), denouncing speculations that the European Union might impose a 'travel ban' on Tucker Carlson in response to the forthcoming interview.

He wrote, "If true, this would be disturbing indeed. One may agree with Tucker or not, but he is a major American journalist and such an action would greatly offend the American public."

Vivek Ramaswamy stated, "The European Union is considering sanctions against Tucker for interviewing Putin. But think about it - there’s no way the EU would ever dare to do that to a prominent U.S. figure without implicit blessing from their counterparts in the U.S. government."

A user opined, "Hard to believe this is true… Never could’ve imagined a world where a journalist would suffer such consequences for simply asking questions What about when Barbara Walters interviewed Castro? Or when Megyn Kelly interviewed Putin? These people are straight hypocrites "

"They don't want the public to hear what Putin has to say." added another.

"freedom of press...is not so free, it seems. beyond disturbing." suggested another.

A user asked, "Would the EU take such steps against a U.S. figure without a nod from the U.S. government? "

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.