Tucker Carlson said Saturday that the Central Intelligence Agency accessed his private text messages and may prepare a criminal referral against him over alleged violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Carlson made the claim in a video posted to X, saying intelligence officials may refer the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice based on his communications with individuals in Iran before the outbreak of the current Middle East war.
“So the other day I found out that the CIA is preparing some kind of criminal referral against me,” Carlson said in the video. “What’s that crime? Talking to people in Iran before the war. They read my texts.”
When you discover the CIA has been reading your texts in order to frame you for a crime. pic.twitter.com/XgoluHw8EG
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) March 14, 2026
Carlson did not present evidence in the video that the CIA accessed his messages or that a criminal referral had been prepared.
Carlson said authorities may accuse him of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a federal law that requires individuals who lobby, advocate, or conduct political activities on behalf of foreign governments or political entities to register with the U.S. Department of Justice.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Foreign Agents Registration Act requires individuals or organizations working on behalf of foreign governments or political entities to disclose those relationships to the U.S. Department of Justice. The law aims to ensure transparency around foreign influence efforts in American politics and public discourse.
Carlson rejected the idea that he acted as a foreign agent.
“I’m not an agent of a foreign power,” Carlson said. “Unlike a lot of people commenting on U.S. politics and global affairs, I have only one loyalty, and that’s the United States.”
Carlson said journalists routinely communicate with foreign sources as part of their reporting.
“It’s my job to talk to everybody all the time and try to figure out what’s happening around the world,” Carlson said. “I’m also an American. I can talk to anybody.”
Carlson suggested critics may have pushed for the referral because of his views on the Middle East conflict.
“There are some people who are mad at me for my views about Israel,” Carlson said.
Carlson also warned that governments often restrict dissent during wartime.
“Countries tend to become more authoritarian in wartime,” Carlson said.
Carlson pointed to a 2021 incident during his time at Fox News when he said the National Security Agency intercepted and leaked his communications while he attempted to arrange an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Carlson said he does not expect the matter to result in criminal charges.
“I doubt it will even become a case,” he said.
As of Saturday evening, neither the CIA nor the Department of Justice has confirmed Carlson’s claim that officials prepared a criminal referral.
The CIA typically does not conduct domestic criminal investigations. Federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI generally handle those matters.
The situation remains a developing story.
