While the N.S.A. rarely comments on allegations about its activities, the accusation prompted a rare public denial from the agency, which called it “untrue” and said “Carlson has never been an intelligence target of the agency and the N.S.A. In early July, it emerged that Mr. Carlson had been trying to secure an interview with Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin. But in making his accusation, Mr. Carlson had not disclosed to his viewers that he had been reaching out to the Russian government via Kremlin intermediaries at the time. That context was important.

Source: New York Times August 10, 2021 18:47 UTC