House Speaker Kevin McCarthy granted Fox News’ super host Tucker Carlson and his staff sole access to thousands of hours of footage from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and woke Twitter is melting down.
“Kevin McCarthy turned over Jan 6 videos to right-wing propagandist Tucker Carlson. A man who spews Kremlin talking points. Suggests Jan 6 was a false flag. And spreads the Big Lie,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) complained on Monday.
“Make no mistake: This isn’t about transparency, it’s about fueling dangerous conspiracy theories.”
Axios reported on Monday that McCarthy began the process of giving Carlson’s staff access to the 41,000 hours of Capitol surveillance footage in early February.
“So Kevin McCarthy shared the surveillance footage, not with the rest of congress, investigators, or anyone like that. It was Tucker Carlson,” snapped former congressman and Jan. 6 select committee member Adam Kinzinger.
“The “elisestefanik’ing” of McCarthy has been breathtaking, and not the man I thought i knew before Trump. Lies lies lies.”
Producers from Carlson’s three shows were on sight at Capitol Hill last week to begin sifting through the massive amount of raw footage that was filmed from multiple CCTV camera angles.
“For really more than two years now we’ve been complaining about, and we think it’s justified, the fact that the US Congress has held … tens of thousands of hours of closed circuit camera footage from the public … from January 6th,” he said during Monday night’s episode.
“Jan. 6 is a transformative event in this country, it’s been used to change the country,” Carlson continued, noting that his team has been granted “unfettered” access to the footage.
“Some of our smartest producers have been [at Captiol Hill] looking at this stuff and trying to figure out what it means, and how it contradicts or not, the story we’ve been told for two years.”
“We think already that in some ways it does contradict that story,” he concluded.
“And so we’re going to spend the rest of this week taking a look at it, assessing it as honestly as we can, and we’re going to bring you what we find next week.”
Mississippi Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson, who led the Jan. 6 select House committee blasted McCarthy for the move.
“It’s hard to overstate the potential security risks if this material were to be used irresponsibly,” Thompson’s statement read.
“If Speaker McCarthy has indeed granted Tucker Carlson — a Fox host who routinely spreads misinformation and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s poisonous propaganda — and his producers access to this sensitive footage,” the congressman went on.
“He owes the American people an explanation of why he has done so and what steps he has taken to address the significant security concerns at stake.”
Carlson told Axios that there was never a “legitimate” reason for the footage to be hidden from the public’s view.
“If there was ever a question that’s in the public’s interest to know, it’s what actually happened on January 6. By definition, this video will reveal it,” he remarked.
“It’s impossible for me to understand why any honest person would be bothered by that.”
Colorado GOP Congresswoman Lauren Boebert agreed with the Fox News’ host’s assessment.
“The public deserves to see everything that was hidden,” she said in a Monday post.
“Americans deserve to see the truth, not a one sided narrative and unfair two tiered justice system,” concurred Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
“For all of you that doubted we would release the tapes. Here you go!” She tweeted.
Investigative journalist and former Project Veritas writer Laura Loomer complained that the tapes were given to Carlson.
“No. He didn’t keep his promise. He said he would release it to the PUBLIC. Tucker Carlson shouldn’t get to decide what we see and don’t see,” she tweeted.
“Basically Rupert Murdoch (owner) & Paul Ryan (Fox News board member) get to decide how much footage we see. Absolute McCarthy deception.”
“It is one thing for Speaker Kevin McCarthy to fully release the Jan. 6 footage. But releasing the footage EXCLUSIVELY to a Jan. 6 denier like Tucker Carlson?” Argued NY Democrat Rep. Richie Torres.
“That is as insane as appointing Marjorie Taylor Greene to the Homeland Security Committee.”
“I got no problem with all the footage being put out. I got a big problem with Tucker Carlson having anything to do with the footage,” noted 2020 GOP presidential candidate Joe Walsh.
“He’s the most dishonest person in the media. Anything he puts out will be a lie.”
“McCarthy giving 40,000 hrs of Jan. 6 tape to a pro-Putin journalist is an astounding ethical collapse,” whined Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD).
“What security precautions were taken to keep this from becoming a roadmap for 2024 insurrection? Why isn’t it available to all media & public? Smell the MAGA propaganda coming?”
Despite all of the complaints from woke social media, plenty of people are thrilled to learn about what Carlson’s team uncovers.
“Finally. Tucker Carlson has a great team who understand the fate of many innocent Americans lies in their hands,” said former Fox News host Lara Logan.
“The whole truth is the only thing that can save them & us. Kevin McCarthy gives Tucker Carlson access to massive trove of Jan. 6 riot tape.”
“So basically Tucker Carlson is going to have to do the job of the DOJ because our AG has spent two years covering up the truth,” added a conservative commentator.
“By the time Tucker Carlson is done sifting through the Jan 6 surveillance videos, it will prove the known fact, Nancy Pelosi orchestrated the Jan 6 riots with the direct assistance of the coordinator the FBI,” someone concluded.