House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) defended his decision to release footage of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot exclusively to Fox News host Tucker Carlson, noting the exchange fulfills a pledge he made during his bid for House speaker.
“I promised,” McCarthy told the New York Times on Wednesday. “I was asked in the press about these tapes, and I said they do belong to the American public. I think sunshine lets everybody make their own judgment.”
KEVIN MCCARTHY OFFERS TUCKER CARLSON ACCESS TO FOOTAGE FROM JAN. 6 RIOTS
McCarthy agreed to hand over 41,000 hours of surveillance footage to Carlson’s crew, which includes camera access from several angles on the Capitol grounds during the riot. Excerpts from the footage are expected to be aired on Carlson’s show over the coming weeks.
Republican lawmakers have pushed McCarthy to release the footage for weeks. News of the decision prompted an outcry among congressional Democrats, with several calling the move dangerous to national security.
“Giving someone as disingenuous as Tucker Carlson exclusive access to this type of sensitive information is a grave mistake by Speaker McCarthy that will only embolden supporters of the Big Lie and weaken faith in our democracy,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wrote in a letter on Wednesday. “Let me be clear, the Senate strongly objects to the release of this sensitive security footage to Tucker Carlson and Fox News. The speaker — nor any elected official — does not have the right to jeopardize the safety of senators nor Senate and Capitol staff for their own political purposes. Period.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also took aim at Carlson for downplaying the severity of the Jan. 6 attack, accusing the Fox News host of promoting pro-Russian propaganda.
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“I write with respect to public reports that extreme MAGA Republicans in the House have provided tens of thousands of hours of sensitive Capitol security footage to a FOX News personality who regularly peddles in conspiracy theories and Pro-Putin rhetoric,” Jeffries wrote to his colleagues. “The apparent transfer of video footage represents an egregious security breach that endangers the hardworking women and men of the United States Capitol Police, who valiantly defended our democracy with their lives at risk on that fateful day.”
McCarthy pushed back on those accusations, arguing the release was important to ensure a transparent investigation. The House speaker said he plans to release the footage more widely after Carlson’s crew is done sifting through it, according to the New York Times.
