Three weeks after Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused the National Security Agency of reading his communications, the agency has confirmed he was unmasked.
"The nation’s top electronic spy agency found that Carlson was mentioned in communications between third parties and his name was subsequently revealed through 'unmasking,' a process in which relevant government officials can request the identities of American citizens in intelligence reports to be divulged provided there is an official reason, such as helping them make sense of the intelligence documents they are reviewing," the Record reports.
The NSA now admits that it "unmasked" Tucker's identity after an intelligence intercept. Plus: the tyrants at Facebook confirm that they have been censoring this show. pic.twitter.com/AeYbQzNWLI
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) July 24, 2021
NSA review confirms that the Biden admin captured Tucker’s communications and then unmasked him, just like Tucker said. https://t.co/98uOOeziur
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) July 23, 2021
"For the NSA to unmask Tucker Carlson or any journalist attempting to secure a newsworthy interview is entirely unacceptable and raises serious questions about their activities as well as their original denial, which was wildly misleading,” a Fox News spokesman released in a statement about the developments.
Yes - Joe Biden personally unmasked General Flynn and now someone? in Biden administration unmasked Tucker Carlson.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) July 24, 2021
It should be illegal to spy on Americans without a warrant. https://t.co/ZrNn31daU1
The NSA originally stated Carlson was not a target of any intelligence investigation, but did not deny reviewing his communications.
"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. 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. 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," the NSA released in a statement.
A statement from NSA regarding recent allegations: pic.twitter.com/vduE6l6YWg
— NSA/CSS (@NSAGov) June 30, 2021
We asked the NSA to answer these questions. We will have an update for you tonight at 8pm ET on FOX News. pic.twitter.com/OpQY5uEnq0
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 30, 2021