House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave Fox News host Tucker Carlson exclusive access to 41,000 hours of January 6 security footage, Axios reported on Monday.
The outlet reported that Carlson’s television producers were in Washington, D.C. last week to sift through the footage, which was taken from numerous camera angles throughout Capitol grounds and will be airing on Fox News in a few weeks.
“There was never any legitimate reason for this footage to remain secret,” Carlson told Axios reporter Mike Allen.
“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,” he added.
For all of you that doubted we would release the tapes.
Here you go!
I’m very happy to be right again in my support for Kevin McCarthy as our Speaker.
Americans deserve to see the truth, not a one sided narrative and unfair two tiered justice system.https://t.co/EkVvbTwxcP
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 20, 2023
The process of releasing the footage to Carlson began earlier this month, according to Allen.
McCarthy told reporters in mid-January of this year that he intended to push the new Republican-controlled Congress to release all of the previously suppressed January 6 security footage for transparency purposes.
The January 6 security footage, some legal experts have claimed, may contain evidence that could exonerate some of the individuals who have been indefinitely detained by the Biden administration over nonviolent Capitol riot-related offenses.
In addition to exonerating some of the prisoners, some have speculated that the hidden security footage may reveal actions taken by potentially undercover federal assets, who have been suspected of embedding themselves within the protesting crowds and encouraging, animating, or outright participating in violence that day.
The prospect of undercover federal involvement in the riots was originally spearheaded by Revolver News’ Darren Beattie, whose in depth reporting on individuals such as Ray Epps revealed a “massive web of unindicted operators at the heart of January 6.”
Carlson notably took notice of the reports and covered the critical topic on his show, oftentimes alongside Beattie himself, discussing the role that FBI agents and operatives had in “encouraging” violence on January 6.
The revelations prompted a select group of House Republicans to push for investigations into the FBI and other agencies over their likely role in what could be viewed as a federal sabotage of the peaceful election protest, and for the cessation of what has been described as the indefinite detainment of American citizens in Joe Biden’s Washington, D.C. “Gulag” who were “entrapped” in the plot.
Some conservative activists have said that McCarthy’s decision to send the footage to Carlson falls short of his promise to fully release it to the public.
“@RepMTG how stupid do you think we are? This is not a ‘public’ release of the tapes. Classic bullsht artistry from you & your boy toy @SpeakerMcCarthy So @TuckerCarlson gets to ‘curate’ what we see? McCarthy promised a PUBLIC RELEASE. That means OPEN SOURCE FOR ALL TO SEE,” tweeted former Florida Congressional candidate and conservative activist Laura Loomer.
.@RepMTG how stupid do you think we are? This is not a “public” release of the tapes.
Classic bullsht artistry from you & your boy toy @SpeakerMcCarthy.
So @TuckerCarlson gets to “curate” what we see?
McCarthy promised a PUBLIC RELEASE. That means OPEN SOURCE FOR ALL TO SEE
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) February 20, 2023
“MTG Botched this again. Cares more about press hits than J6 Families,” tweeted StopTheSteal founder Ali Alexander, who was also featured in Carlson’s Patriot Purge documentary series, which explored “how the Biden regime is using the Capitol riots on January Sixth to paint Americans as terrorists.”
Tucker has been a strong ally of due process rights for the J6. He even put me in a documentary. Appreciated.
HOWEVER
I cannot believe the unbelievable audacity of MTG-McCarthy not releasing the 41,000 hours of video to the public and defense teams.https://t.co/GQZgVaKRXD
— Ali Alexander (@ali) February 20, 2023
“Tucker has been a strong ally of due process rights for the J6. He even put me in a documentary. Appreciated. HOWEVER I cannot believe the unbelievable audacity of MTG-McCarthy not releasing the 41,000 hours of video to the public and defense teams,” Alexander added in a subsequent tweet.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) later appeared to take a swipe at the critics online, claiming that “not one single lying grifter on social media had anything to do with” the tapes being sent to Carlson.
We are releasing the J6 tapes and not one single lying grifter on social media had anything to do with it.
I told you we would all along.
Stop listening to the losers who claim they know what’s going on bc of their “sources” while they beg you for donations.
They don’t know… https://t.co/mWm2elNkhU
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) February 20, 2023
“I told you we would all along. Stop listening to the losers who claim they know what’s going on bc of their ‘sources’ while they beg you for donations,” Rep. Greene wrote. “They don’t know…”
Others, like renowned journalist Lara Logan, have celebrated that move, stating that Carlson and his team “understand the fate of many innocent Americans lies in their hands. The whole truth is the only thing that can save them & us.”
Finally. Tucker Carlson has a great team who understand the fate of many innocent Americans lies in their hands. 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 https://t.co/VEyDlcIreH
— Lara Logan (@laralogan) February 20, 2023
“Awesome!” Donald Trump Jr., the son of 45th President Donald Trump, said of the news. “Incidentally, when I did my Triggered podcast interview with @SpeakerMcCarthy he had mentioned, as we chatted afterwards, that he was trying to get all the footage to make sure it got out.”
Awesome! Incidentally, when I did my Triggered podcast interview with @SpeakerMcCarthy he had mentioned, as we chatted afterwards, that he was trying to get all the footage to make sure it got out. This has been in the works, but great that it’s happening! https://t.co/w1sPyJaHph
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 20, 2023
“This has been in the works, but great that it’s happening!” he added.
Follow Andrew on Twitter @whiteaf5.
Doug Litchfield
February 20, 2023 at 6:22 pm
Does this mean all the cut and splice specialists on the rest of the alphabet channels along with fake news commentators will no longer be of service? Masses is the key word here. The couple of hundred they would reach can’t handle the truth anyway.
Drosack
February 20, 2023 at 9:09 pm
If there is treason, hang’em.
Grayfox41
February 20, 2023 at 11:13 pm
The J6 event has been terribly politicized. I pray that for the emotional health of the nation the truth will be fully disclosed by these videos and a full public, bipartisan investigation of events leading up to, during and after the J6 debacle.
Juan
February 21, 2023 at 6:48 am
First off I thought it was 14,000 hours, at least that’s what was always said but who knows it could very well be 41,0000 hours but that seems like a bit much. That footage should have been released on the Internet or given to Elon Musk! He would have created its own website for the footage and backed it up. I have a feeling that we aren’t going to be able to see it all with Fox News in control of it. The Feds Can walk in and take it whenever they want.
Major Kong
February 21, 2023 at 10:56 am
Why aren’t the defendant’s attorney’s getting these hours of tape? They are the ones who should receive them first before a news channel receives them…..
Bob Russell
February 21, 2023 at 9:10 pm
Carlson will do what he can with the videos but the TREASONOUS gop establishment hacks won’t punish nutty nan or any other devildemocommiecrat for TREASON because they are on the same team!!!!! There are only a very few loyal republicans and the esyablishment controlled by the TRAITORS mccarthy and mcconnell won’t allow their devildemocommiecrat allies to be punished!!!!!!!!!!