Former President Donald Trump made a clear call for those imprisoned after the Jan. 6, 2021 protests to be released immediately as Fox News host Tucker Carlson released portions of thousands of hours of security footage from that day.
Carlson’s decision helps to clarify many of the questions regarding what happened when protesters entered the Capitol that day. However, the tape also raises a number of questions.
Former President Trump took special note of this, posting on Truth Social that the footage exonerated him and the protesters. He added his opinion that the tapes undermine the House Select Committee to investigate that day’s events.
Trump described it as a “scoop.”
The former president said that Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) “failed on security.” He said that he and “most others are totally innocent, LET THEM GO FREE, NOW!”
🚨Tucker releases exclusive tapes from inside the Capitol on January 6th— everything Democrats have told you is a LIE. pic.twitter.com/ovp7rUo6kr
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 7, 2023
Trump was also pointed in his criticism of the Jan. 6 committee, stating that the committee “LIED” and “should be prosecuted for their action.”
The former president also specially thanked both Carlson and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Trump called McCarthy’s decision to release the footage as “great courage.”
Carlson received the footage from McCarthy, which included more than 40,000 hours. Included in the tape was footage of the nicknamed “QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley being led around the building by police.
The footage raises a number of questions from conservatives since the events more than two years ago. This included the question of who allowed the protesters into the building. Chansley himself is recorded thanking police officers for letting him into the Capitol.
The release of the footage also came under withering criticism by other news outlets, who scorned the Fox News host for his access to the tapes and a two-day special to release footage to the public.
According to a recent opinion piece in the New York Post, the characterizations of that day will be shifted due to Carlson’s revelations. The editorial called this an “existential threat” to Democrats’ chances of winning elections.
