Carlson told podcast host Joe Rogan that U.S. lawmakers "told" him that they are "worried" about being punished by intelligence agencies if they oppose reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
"People don’t say that because they’re worried about being punished. They’re worried about someone putting kiddie porn on their computer. Members of Congress are terrified of the intel agencies. I’m not guessing at that. They’ve told me that — including people on the intel committee, including people who run the intel committee," Carlson said.
"The people whose job it is to oversee and keep in line these enormous, secretive agencies whose budgets we can’t even know — their ’black budgets,’" Carlson continued, raising his hands into air-quotes. "They’re the parents, the agencies are the children. They’re afraid of the agencies. That’s not compatible with democracy."