Carlson said that the false allegation about abuse of minors was a product of Israel’s misinformation campaign and was falsely attributed by former US intelligence officials to Russian propaganda.

“They (Israel) were behind it," Carlson said. ”I felt like everybody in Washington knew it, but there was so much pressure not to criticise Israel in any way that they just said, ‘It’s the Russians, it’s the Russians’.”

“Maybe the Russians had a hand in it, but it was the Israelis who were pushing that fact,” Carlson said. ”Fact, I mean literally [pushing it] to me.”

There is no evidence that Hunter abused minors. The former US president’s son has long acknowledged the videos, texts and photos showing him engaging in drug and sex acts.