Since the beginning of this year, American journalist Tucker Carlson, an icon of media conservatism, has started generating controversy due to a notable "ideological shift." According to various investigations, this is because Carlson is part of a Qatar influence strategy over American media.
Official documents submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) reveal Qatar's growing influence in strategic sectors of the West, including the academic world, sports, real estate, and now also media, with special emphasis on right-wing sectors.
According to reports, before Trump's victory in the elections, only 10% of Qatari lobbying was directed at conservative media. However, after his win, 50% of lobbying efforts focused on channels such as Fox News, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail.
El periodista Tucker Carlson.
The goal of that decision is to improve Qatar's image, a country accused of its ties to Hamas and Iran, and to present it as a reliable strategic partner to Washington.
In this context, Tucker Carlson turned out to be one of the clearest examples of this strategy. In March, Carlson conducted an interview with Qatar's Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, which surpassed six million views in just a few hours.
"There is enormous pressure on the United States to participate in a new war against Iran. Qatar's government considers it reckless, so, of course, it is being relentlessly slandered in American media. Qatar's Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, explains it," Carlson said when presenting the interview.
El contrato de Qatar con Tucker Carlson.
However, what is most striking is the clarification that the American journalist himself wrote in the tweet: "Includes paid partnerships." This demonstrates the Arab influence strategy over certain media outlets and journalists.
Behind that action was the American consulting firm Lumen8 Advisors, hired by the Qatari embassy in Washington. The contract, for 180,000 dollars per month, requires exclusive work with Doha, first-class travel, and total availability. Lumen8 can't collaborate with any other Middle Eastern country without Qatar's direct authorization.
In addition, Tucker Carlson Network (TCN), his new platform after leaving Fox, has as its main investor a powerful Qatari sheikh known for his strong opposition to Trump.
This funding coincides with an editorial shift by Carlson, who now speaks out against any U.S. intervention in the Middle East and criticizes Trump's decisions in the region.
