Russian President Vladimir Putin wasn’t the only individual former Fox News host Tucker Carlson met in Moscow. According to Semafor‚ Carlson also met NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and Tara Reade‚ a former Biden staffer who accused him of sexual assault. .@maxwelltani scoop: Tucker Carlson met Edward Snowden in Moscow https://t.co/EUvl53fkF1 — Ben Smith (@semaforben) February 8‚ 2024 Per Semafor: The former Fox News host met for hours Thursday with the NSA leaker Edward Snowden‚ Semafor has learned. While the former NSA whistleblower was a regular figure in the press in the years after he fled to Russia‚ he has largely receded from public appearances in recent years‚ citing the desire for wanted greater privacy for his family. The Snowden interview was not for Carlson’s video program‚ but he did tape an interview with Tara Reade‚ a former junior Senate aide who decades later accused President Joe Biden of sexual assault (an allegation he denied). Reade moved to Russia last year after several years of increasingly speaking out in support of pro-Russian policies. #BREAKING Tucker Carlson met with Edward Snowden in Moscow Carlson managed to talk with Snowden and Tara Reade‚ who accused Biden of harassment. “Tucker Carlson has a busy agenda in Moscow: he met with two key American figures living in exile there. Carlson spoke with Edward… pic.twitter.com/1dQH2mDm0u — Jack Straw (@JackStr42679640) February 9‚ 2024 The Daily Beast reports: Snowden fled to Russia for asylum in 2013 after he leaked troves of documents about the agency’s spying habits to media outlets‚ while Reade moved there last year after months of cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime. Carlson’s conversation with Snowden was not for his new digital show‚ according to Semafor‚ though his conversation with Reade was‚ a notable addition considering Carlson’s initially skeptical view of Reade’s claims. (A 2022 interview with Reade left him “completely convinced‚” he said.) Carlson is in Moscow to interview Putin and claimed that Western journalists had not sought the Russian leader’s perspective‚ a lie that has been shot down by numerous U.S. journalists and‚ notably‚ Russia’s top spokesperson. “Oh Daily Beast could not even wait a hot minute after Putin interview to chime in with a smear piece on me‚” Tara Reade commented. Oh Daily Beast could not even wait a hot minute after Putin interview to chime in with a smear piece on me. “Reade moved there last year after months of cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime.” https://t.co/E2xn3EIWyz — Tara Reade (@ReadeAlexandra) February 8‚ 2024 Although Edward Snowden lives in exile in Russia‚ the whistleblower said he has “no regrets.” Snowden warned that surveillance technologies used by intelligence agencies have significantly advanced since he sounded the alarm in 2013. “We trusted the government not to screw us. But they did. We trusted the tech companies not to take advantage of us. But they did. That is going to happen again‚ because that is the nature of power‚” Snowden commented‚ according to The Guardian. ‘No regrets‚’ says Edward Snowden‚ after 10 years in exile https://t.co/nrU1j5JWoQ — Annette B. (@DoNotGiveUpHope) February 9‚ 2024 From The Guardian: Edward Snowden has warned that surveillance technology is so much more advanced and intrusive today it makes that used by US and British intelligence agencies he revealed in 2013 look like child’s play. In an interview on the 10th anniversary of his revelations about the scale of surveillance – some of it illegal – by the US National Security Agency and its British counterpart‚ GCHQ‚ he said he had no regrets about what he had done and cited positive changes. But he is depressed about inroads into privacy both in the physical and digital world. “Technology has grown to be enormously influential‚” Snowden said. “If we think about what we saw in 2013 and the capabilities of governments today‚ 2013 seems like child’s play.” He expressed concern not only about dangers posed by governments and Big Tech but commercially available video surveillance cameras‚ facial recognition‚ artificial intelligence and intrusive spyware such as Pegasus used against dissidents and journalists.