Tucker Carlson and Justin Trudeau have never been friends, but claims made by the Canadian Prime Minister this week took his longtime skirmish with the fired Fox News host turned far-right social media and podcast figure to a whole new level. While speaking under oath at a public hearing on election interference, Trudeau claimed that Russian state-owned news network RT has financially backed Carlson’s venture, as well as the work of conservative Canadian author Jordan Peterson.

Trudeau made the claim to Canada’s Foreign Interference Commission Wednesday, during one in a series of public hearings into possible foreign interference in the country’s recent elections. The topic in this case was the so-called “Freedom Convoy,” an early 2022 protest by Canadian truckers against vaccine mandates and other efforts to slow the spread of the deadly virus. The protest, which blocked roadways in the country’s major cities, gained loud support from figures on the right, including Senator Ted Cruz and Florida governor Ron DeSantis. It also generated positive coverage from Fox News hosts Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and then-employee Tucker Carlson.

According to a translation of Trudeau’s testimony, “We have seen that anti-vax messages during the convoy, during the pandemic, were amplified by Russian propaganda, especially in the media of the right.”

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As the pandemic waned, the focus of that alleged propaganda shifted from opposition to COVID-19 mandates and restrictions to straightforward messaging in support of Russian president Vladimir Putin. “We’ve recently seen that RT is currently funding bloggers and other YouTube personalities of the right, such as Jordan Peterson,” Trudeau said, referencing the right-leaning internet celebrity.

According to Trudeau, the propaganda organ also backs “Other names that are well known, Tucker Carlson as well, in order to amplify messages that are destabilizing democracies.”

This isn’t the first time RT has been accused of working to fund American influencers. At a press conference this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that RT has paid pro-Trump social media stars nearly $10 million. But according to Peterson, he hasn’t seen a dime.

Speaking with the National Post on Friday, Peterson said he has never been funded by RT, “not ever in the past and not now.” The author, who was an outspoken supporter of the truckers’ protest and who has been vocal on his opposition to vaccinations, said that he is considering a lawsuit against Trudeau for the allegation, as “I don’t think it’s reasonable for the prime minister of the country to basically label me a traitor and I don’t find it amusing.”

Carlson has made no bones about his admiration for Russia, including multiple broadcasts from the country and an interview in early 2024 with Putin. But he denied that his pro-Russian content was part of a coordinated plan. “I’m from La Jolla, California,” Carlson said following the interview. “I’m not flacking for Putin. Please.”

Carlson made similar denials in May, when news broke that Russian state-run TV network Rossiya 24 would broadcast repackaged versions of his X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube shows in a series called Tucker. Rossiya 24. According to CNN reporter Hadas Gold, Carlson had no idea his content was running on Russian TV. “Of course, I have no partnership with Russia,” he said. “The first I’d heard anything about this was (this) morning.” Vanity Fair has reached out to Carlson for comment on Trudeau’s claims, but has not received a response as of publication time.