Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin showed that the Russian president doesn’t plan on stopping the war with Ukraine. He also explained he’s willing to speak with the U.S. about a potential prison exchange for reporter Evan Gershkovich, per Politico. But for the most part, viewers already knew all of this. Much of the interview held few new details, and body language expert Jess Ponce III can explain why.
Although translation played a big part in the difficulty of the interview, Ponce believes Carlson could have used his body language to facilitate the conversation a bit better. He explained exclusively to Nicki Swift, “In this specific interview, Tucker appeared less animated than usual. Notably, there was no single shot capturing him squarely facing the camera while maintaining complete control of the elements.” Ponce also noted that in Carlson’s other interviews, he has a “high energy level” that was missing in this conversation. The expert explained, “Typically, [Carlson] engages in active listening to respond swiftly, but in this instance, it seemed as though Putin held complete control.”
Carlson wasn’t in his element, but Putin definitely was. “Putin, a seasoned politician, demonstrated mastery over every aspect of his communication,” Ponce said. “This encompassed not only the content and messaging but also the nuances of delivery, including camera angles, posture, and overall body language.” Putin’s body language made it hard to question him, which is what everyone hoped Carlson would do, so it’s no wonder the interview was anything but eye-opening.
