In remarks certain to ignite debate across Washington, conservative commentator and former Fox News star Tucker Carlson declared Russian President Vladimir V. Putin the “most effective leader” of his lifetime, sharply contrasting the Kremlin leader’s record with that of President Biden.
Speaking on The Tucker Carlson Show during an interview with Michael Knowles, Carlson argued it was “insane” to suggest Biden was either a better leader or a better man than Putin.
“Why is he more evil than Biden? I can’t even conceptualize that,” Carlson began. “If you think Joe Biden was a better leader or a better man than Vladimir Putin, I don’t even know what to say to you because that’s insane.”
Carlson went further, criticizing Biden’s domestic record while noting that Putin’s decades in power have yielded tangible results for Russians. “By no measure did Joe Biden’s country, the people he solemnly swore to help and defend, did they thrive? No. They withered,” Carlson said. “Putin, who’s been there for 25 years, his country’s improved. The people are happier. They like him actually.”
Knowles, with a laugh, pushed back lightly, noting, “The war’s been a little tough on Putin. I’d be curious about public opinion today, this far into the war.”
Carlson replied that such polls are indeed measured. “Well, actually, it’s measured a lot. Look it up.” He added a clarification to head off criticism: “Look, I’m not moving to Russia. But I mean, Putin has been the most effective leader in my lifetime. I can’t think of a more effective one. He’s been a very stable leader for Russia. But why is he more evil than Joe Biden?”
Carlson emphasized that his remarks did not mean he sided with Moscow over Washington. Knowles underlined his loyalty to the United States “whether Biden or anyone else is in charge.” Carlson quickly agreed: “Dude, I’m with you.”
The timing of Carlson’s comments underscored the international divide over Putin. On the same day, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz denounced the Russian president as “perhaps the most serious war criminal of our time,” citing Russia’s actions in Ukraine and allegations of unlawful deportations.
Carlson has long courted controversy for his willingness to critique U.S. foreign policy and the political establishment’s approach to Russia.
In 2024, he conducted a rare interview with Putin himself, during which he also drew attention for filming himself in a Moscow supermarket and marveling at the comparatively low prices of basic goods.
The contrast Carlson drew between Putin and Biden reflects a frustration previously felt on the right with the former president’s leadership at home and abroad. Conservatives have blamed Biden’s weakenss for inflation, surging energy costs, and instability at the southern border. Carlson’s remarks, while provocative, tap into that dissatisfaction by questioning whether Americans were better off under Biden’s previous leadership than Russians under Putin’s.
For Carlson, the argument appears less about admiration for Russia than about holding up a mirror to the failures of America’s former leadership. “He’s been a very stable leader for Russia,” Carlson said of Putin, before posing the question that has unsettled Washington’s political class: “But why is he more evil than Joe Biden?”
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