After years of intense political pressure, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has given Fox News’ Tucker Carlson exclusive access to 41,000 hours of Capitol surveillance footage from the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The materials have been the subject of intense speculation since the insurrection took place.
“I watched what Nancy Pelosi did, where she politicized it — where, for the first time in the history as a speaker, not allowing the minority to appoint to a committee, to pick and choose,” Speaker McCarthy said of his predecessor’s management of the partisan select committee investigating January 6.
He continued, “I think the American public should actually see all what happened instead of a report that’s written for a political basis.”
Speaker McCarthy promises to release all of the security footage from January 6 pic.twitter.com/WgBYhSYRxZ
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 12, 2023
The archive initially reported 14,000 hours of Capitol surveillance footage but Speaker McCarthy mentioned to there being much more.
According to Axios, Carlson stated, “[T]here was never any legitimate reason for this footage to remain secret.” Carlson added, “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. It’s impossible for me to understand why any honest person would be bothered by that.”
The release of this footage will be a major victory for journalists and activists who have been pushing for more transparency around the events of January 6th. The footage is expected to shed new light on activities of the rioters and how law enforcement officials and the Capitol Police responded.
While the release of the footage is undoubtedly a significant step forward in the investigation, it is also likely to be a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, the footage will provide valuable insights into the events of January 6th. On the other hand, it could also be used to further inflame political tensions and exacerbate the deep divisions that already exist within the U.S. political system.
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