On Thursday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired a segment focusing on video surveillance footage from Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021. The footage, which was withheld from the public for 26 months, showed Capitol Hill police officers escorting protesters through the building, including Jacob Chansley, the so-called QAnon Shaman. It also showed Officer Brian Sicknick walking around the building in good health after he was supposedly beaten to death with a fire extinguisher, contradicting claims made by Liz Cheney.
The airing of the video footage prompted a reaction from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who took to the Senate floor to express his outrage. He argued that showing the video was a threat to democracy, and called on Fox News to pull the segment and Carlson off the air. Schumer was joined in his outrage by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and several other Senate Republicans.
Carlson responded to Schumer’s comments, arguing that the footage’s release was essential to the public’s understanding of what happened on January 6. He also questioned the motives of Schumer, McConnell and others, suggesting that they were trying to protect a narrative they had constructed to gain more power. He also noted the lack of blame given to Nancy Pelosi, who was in charge of the Capitol Police force on January 6, suggesting that the security failure was her fault.
The airing of the surveillance footage and subsequent reactions from Schumer and other politicians has stirred up the significant debate surrounding the Capitol Hill riot and the events leading up to it. It has raised questions about the government’s handling of the security leading up to January 6, and the role of media in shaping public perception of the events that took place.
Virtually no one in Washington, Republican or Democrat, wanted to see this tape released tonight. pic.twitter.com/YfpvaIZTbn
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) March 7, 2023
