Harvard law professor and author Laurence Tribe suggested that Fox News’ most popular host, Tucker Carlson, could be guilty of “treason” should Russia “wage war” on Ukraine. Tribe has since deleted the tweets, backpedaling on the accusation, however.

“Led by Fox News Channels’ Tucker Carlson, the GOP’s Trump wing appears to be throwing its weight behind Putin,” Tribe wrote on Monday. “If Putin opts to wage war on our ally, Ukraine, such ‘aid and comfort’ to an ‘enemy’ would appear to become ‘treason’ as defined by Article III of the US Constitution.”

Tribe’s tweet quickly stirred up backlash and, in a follow up tweet, which has also been deleted, the professor said he “should’ve been more careful” in his language as “we’re not at war with Russia.”

“Sorry if I misled you,” he wrote.

Laurence Tribe has now deleted his original tweet as well as his follow-up. pic.twitter.com/hPPZ5cJ49s

— Jerry Dunleavy 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) February 21, 2022

To be convicted of treason, a confession in court is needed or the testimony of at least two witnesses to “the same overt act.”

Carlson has criticized US President Joe Biden and his administration’s focus on a potential invasion of Ukraine, saying he should be focused on more domestic issues.

“Russia is a very comfortable topic for Joe Biden,” Carlson said last week on his show. “He enjoys talking about it much more than talking about, say, inflation, or crime, or fentanyl deaths, or about how half the population of Haiti appears to be showing up in Florida in leaky boats. Those topics may interest you since you live in this country, but not Joe Biden.”

The Fox News host also claimed last year that the National Security Agency (NSA) had spied on him following efforts to obtain an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Carlson has received backlash for his views on Russia, but many jumped to the conservative pundit’s defense on Monday.

This is not the type of “aid and comfort” that would qualify as treason. Please leave these tropes in the past where they belong. https://t.co/EEc4JDTN4d

— Adam Steinbaugh (@adamsteinbaugh) February 21, 2022

This is completely false. Constitutional text, history, and precedent say this is false. It's not even in the same ballpark as the truth. Here's a very helpful discussion of "treason" from the National Constitution Center: https://t.co/zFL2sQ4ouO https://t.co/RcxjpNKXWH

— David French (@DavidAFrench) February 21, 2022