The National Security Agency (NSA) has released a cryptic statement denying allegations that they were monitoring the electronic communications of Fox News host Tucker Carlson, adding that they “may not” spy on American citizens without a court order.
The NSA released a cryptic statement on Twitter denying Tucker Carlson’s claims that the agency was monitoring his electronic communications in an effort to get his show “Tucker Carlson Tonight” pulled off the air. “On June 28, 2021, Tucker Carlson alleged that the National Security Agency has been ‘monitoring our electronic communications and is planning to leak them in an attempt to take this show off the air.’ This allegation is untrue,” wrote the NSA.
“Tucker Carlson has never been an intelligence target of the Agency and the NSA has never had any plans to try to take his program off the air,” the statement continues.
A statement from NSA regarding recent allegations: pic.twitter.com/vduE6l6YWg
— NSA/CSS (@NSAGov) June 30, 2021
“NSA has a foreign intelligence mission. We target foreign powers to generate insights on foreign activities that could harm the United States. With limited exceptions (e.g. an emergency), NSA may not target a US citizen without a court order that explicitly authorizes the targeting.”
Carlson said the statement was “infuriatingly dishonest” adding that the agency won’t answer as to whether they’ve read his private emails. The White House is refusing to say whether or not the National Security Agency was in fact illegally monitoring Carlson’s electronic communications, as National File reported. “Uh, well, the NSA, as I think you’re well aware, I’m sure everyone’s aware, uh, everyone on this plane is aware, I should say, is uh, an entity that focuses on foreign threats and individuals uh, who are tr-attempting to do us harm on foreign soil. So, uh, that is the, their, uh, purview, um, but, uh, beyond that I would point you to the intelligence community,” Psaki said.