“Fox News’ lurched to the left is maddening for nearly every conservative, including myself,” Stinchfield told his viewers. “And I wonder now, if the leftist leaders of this Trojan horse of a so called conservative network has compromised Tucker Carlson. Now, Tucker is a man that I have absolute great respect for. The fact is Tucker and I agree on most issues, which is why I’m baffled by his defense of Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Unless of course, is Tucker operating under duress? Why else would he proclaim something like this about NATO and Vladimir Putin?”

The Newsmax host played a clip of Carlson saying that “at this point, NATO exists primarily to torment Vladimir Putin, who, whatever his many faults, has no intention of invading western Europe. Vladimir Putin does not want Belgium. He just wants to keep his western border secure. That’s why he doesn’t want Ukraine to join NATO, and that makes sense.”

Stinchfield said he agreed with that assessment, but that Putin’s motives are irrelevant.

“Well, Tucker’s right – that from Vladimir Putin’s perspective, it does make sense,” he said. “But who cares what Vladimir Putin thinks? This is a rogue dictator that hates America. He is dangerous and he wants nothing more than to expand his global reach.”