I think Jim Jordan has passed the Trump dick sucking mantle to Ronny..he’s had no significant impact in congress but sure knows who’s best to represent us.
Trump supporters behaving like the bags of ass that they are
- Thread starter PliggaNease
- Start date
Good ole Luke. I've watched a few of his interviews, and he is very respectful to people that shouldn't be able to live by themselves.
House GOP moving to let Jan. 6 defendants access Capitol security footage
The Republican plan follows Speaker Kevin McCarthy's decision to grant Fox News' Tucker Carlson exclusive access to internal film from the day of the attack.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who chairs the House Administration Committee's oversight subpanel, said that the access for accused rioters and others — which Speaker Kevin McCarthy has greenlighted — would be granted on a “case-by-case basis.”
House Republicans are moving to provide defendants in Jan. 6-related cases access to thousands of hours of internal Capitol security footage, a move that could influence many of the ongoing prosecutions stemming from 2021’s violent attack.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who chairs the House Administration Committee’s oversight subpanel, said that the access for accused rioters and others — which Speaker Kevin McCarthy has greenlighted — would be granted on a “case-by-case basis.”
“Everyone accused of a crime in this country deserves due process, which includes access to evidence which may be used to prove their guilt or innocence,” Loudermilk told POLITICO in a statement. “It is our intention to make available any relevant documents or videos, on a case-by-case basis, as requested by attorneys representing defendants.”
Loudermilk will be leading the effort given his senior Administration panel post, according to a senior Republican congressional aide who addressed the evolving decision on condition of anonymity. The GOP aide added that the new House majority is working on a system that eventually will allow members of the media and the public to access some Jan. 6 records as well.
The footage access plan, described by three people familiar with the discussions, follows McCarthy’s move to grant exclusive access to the 41,000 hours of internal Capitol film from the day of the riot to Fox News’ Tucker Carlson. McCarthy and his allies are also making clear that there will be limits on the extent of material permitted to leave the tightly controlled confines of the Capitol, where Carlson’s team has been reviewing the footage for days.
“What gets released is obviously going to be scrutinized to make sure you’re not exposing any sensitive information that hasn’t already been exposed,” said Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.).
McCarthy told reporters Tuesday that he ultimately envisions releasing nearly all of the Jan. 6 surveillance footage publicly, with exceptions for sensitive security information.
“I think putting it out all to the American public, you can see the truth, see exactly what transpired that day and everybody can have the exact same” access, McCarthy said. “My intention is to release it to everyone.”
McCarthy dismissed questions about his decision to share the footage with Carlson, who has downplayed the Jan. 6 attack, describing it as a typical media exclusive. He noted that he did not consult with Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell about his decision.
Similar measures would be taken with any footage opened up to Jan. 6 defendants and their lawyers, two of the people familiar said, though details of those steps remain unclear for now. Among the big logistical questions Republicans are still discussing: whether any footage they open up to defendants can be used in court proceedings, which would effectively make it public.
McCarthy’s decision to let Carlson view the footage from the violent riot by former President Donald Trump’s supporters has already been raised in two ongoing Jan. 6 criminal cases. In one instance, a lawyer for one of the Proud Boys charged with seditious conspiracy has asked prosecutors to determine whether they will access and share the footage; then on Tuesday morning, Joseph McBride, an attorney for Jan. 6 defendant Ryan Nichols, claimed he had already been given permission to review the footage.
It’s unclear if the Justice Department has requested similar access. A DOJ spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The footage release marks the latest twist in McCarthy’s complicated history with Jan. 6. He led more than 130 House Republicans in objecting to the 2020 election results, even after rioters tore through the Capitol, then condemned the riot in the immediate aftermath and said Trump bore responsibility for it.
Colleagues said McCarthy pleaded with Trump amid the chaos to call off his supporters as they ransacked the building and pummeled police. But after meeting with Trump weeks after the siege, McCarthy strongly opposed Democratic efforts to investigate the breach, particularly after then Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocked two of his members from serving on the panel. He ended up spurning a subpoena from the Jan. 6 select committee.
Though many House Republicans have indicated they hope to move on from regularly discussing the attack, McCarthy’s decision to allow access to the footage — following pressure from a faction of conservative detractors who worked initially to deny him the speakership — has forced Jan. 6 back onto the agenda.
Speaking to his conference for the first time since permitting Carlson to review the copious amounts of internal Capitol security footage, McCarthy sought to quell any internal concerns among members, according to three House Republicans in the room who spoke on condition of anonymity.
During Tuesday’s closed-door conference meeting, McCarthy pointed to footage that Democrats played during select committee hearings last year which showed various locations during the assault, according to one of those Republicans — and described the criticism he’s received for granting Carlson access as “hypocrisy.”
Scalise also argued during a press conference Tuesday morning that the Democrat-led Jan. 6 committee had already released similar types of information, as had former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daughter in a documentary film.
People familiar with the Jan. 6 select committee investigation have emphasized that the footage the panel aired followed intensive negotiations with the Capitol Police, which often pushed back to restrict the length of clips or number of angles the committee could show. Some footage aired by the panel had also been previously made public in ongoing criminal cases stemming from the riot.
It’s unclear what similar steps McCarthy is taking, and as a result his access for Carlson has sparked staunch pushback from Democrats, who say any wide release of unvetted footage could jeopardize Capitol security. The Capitol Police have warned repeatedly in court that any widespread access to security footage could provide a roadmap for potential perpetrators of any future assault on the Capitol.
ut dozens of hours of security footage have also been publicly released in the hundreds of criminal cases that have been brought forward since Jan. 6.
Loudermilk is intimately familiar with the Jan. 6 select committee’s handling of security footage. The panel released film of a group of tourists he led through Capitol office buildings on Jan. 5, 2021 — one of whom approached the Capitol grounds the following day while recording menacing statements about Democratic leaders.
Some Republicans across the ideological spectrum praised McCarthy for his move to release the footage.
“Best if all Americans have access,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who hails from a competitive battleground district. “I don’t hear much about this at home.”
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a member of the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus, praised McCarthy for the move and shrugged off those voicing security concerns: “This place is so convoluted. That’s why they don’t have a map on it … I just got lost trying to get to the tunnel.”
The Jan. 6 footage decision is getting a lot of attention during what Republicans say is an otherwise calm week — so far. In Tuesday morning’s conference meeting, Republicans discussed upcoming bills they will vote on this week, while Scalise also previewed plans for elements of their upcoming agenda, such as a parents’ bill of rights and an energy package set to hit the floor the spring, according to two GOP sources.
House GOP moving to let Jan. 6 defendants access Capitol security footage - POLITICO
The Republican plan follows Speaker Kevin McCarthy's decision to grant Fox News' Tucker Carlson exclusive access to internal film from the day of the attack.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who chairs the House Administration Committee's oversight subpanel, said that the access for accused rioters and others — which Speaker Kevin McCarthy has greenlighted — would be granted on a “case-by-case basis.”
House Republicans are moving to provide defendants in Jan. 6-related cases access to thousands of hours of internal Capitol security footage, a move that could influence many of the ongoing prosecutions stemming from 2021’s violent attack.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who chairs the House Administration Committee’s oversight subpanel, said that the access for accused rioters and others — which Speaker Kevin McCarthy has greenlighted — would be granted on a “case-by-case basis.”
“Everyone accused of a crime in this country deserves due process, which includes access to evidence which may be used to prove their guilt or innocence,” Loudermilk told POLITICO in a statement. “It is our intention to make available any relevant documents or videos, on a case-by-case basis, as requested by attorneys representing defendants.”
Loudermilk will be leading the effort given his senior Administration panel post, according to a senior Republican congressional aide who addressed the evolving decision on condition of anonymity. The GOP aide added that the new House majority is working on a system that eventually will allow members of the media and the public to access some Jan. 6 records as well.
The footage access plan, described by three people familiar with the discussions, follows McCarthy’s move to grant exclusive access to the 41,000 hours of internal Capitol film from the day of the riot to Fox News’ Tucker Carlson. McCarthy and his allies are also making clear that there will be limits on the extent of material permitted to leave the tightly controlled confines of the Capitol, where Carlson’s team has been reviewing the footage for days.
“What gets released is obviously going to be scrutinized to make sure you’re not exposing any sensitive information that hasn’t already been exposed,” said Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.).
McCarthy told reporters Tuesday that he ultimately envisions releasing nearly all of the Jan. 6 surveillance footage publicly, with exceptions for sensitive security information.
“I think putting it out all to the American public, you can see the truth, see exactly what transpired that day and everybody can have the exact same” access, McCarthy said. “My intention is to release it to everyone.”
McCarthy dismissed questions about his decision to share the footage with Carlson, who has downplayed the Jan. 6 attack, describing it as a typical media exclusive. He noted that he did not consult with Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell about his decision.
Similar measures would be taken with any footage opened up to Jan. 6 defendants and their lawyers, two of the people familiar said, though details of those steps remain unclear for now. Among the big logistical questions Republicans are still discussing: whether any footage they open up to defendants can be used in court proceedings, which would effectively make it public.
McCarthy’s decision to let Carlson view the footage from the violent riot by former President Donald Trump’s supporters has already been raised in two ongoing Jan. 6 criminal cases. In one instance, a lawyer for one of the Proud Boys charged with seditious conspiracy has asked prosecutors to determine whether they will access and share the footage; then on Tuesday morning, Joseph McBride, an attorney for Jan. 6 defendant Ryan Nichols, claimed he had already been given permission to review the footage.
It’s unclear if the Justice Department has requested similar access. A DOJ spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The footage release marks the latest twist in McCarthy’s complicated history with Jan. 6. He led more than 130 House Republicans in objecting to the 2020 election results, even after rioters tore through the Capitol, then condemned the riot in the immediate aftermath and said Trump bore responsibility for it.
Colleagues said McCarthy pleaded with Trump amid the chaos to call off his supporters as they ransacked the building and pummeled police. But after meeting with Trump weeks after the siege, McCarthy strongly opposed Democratic efforts to investigate the breach, particularly after then Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocked two of his members from serving on the panel. He ended up spurning a subpoena from the Jan. 6 select committee.
Though many House Republicans have indicated they hope to move on from regularly discussing the attack, McCarthy’s decision to allow access to the footage — following pressure from a faction of conservative detractors who worked initially to deny him the speakership — has forced Jan. 6 back onto the agenda.
Speaking to his conference for the first time since permitting Carlson to review the copious amounts of internal Capitol security footage, McCarthy sought to quell any internal concerns among members, according to three House Republicans in the room who spoke on condition of anonymity.
During Tuesday’s closed-door conference meeting, McCarthy pointed to footage that Democrats played during select committee hearings last year which showed various locations during the assault, according to one of those Republicans — and described the criticism he’s received for granting Carlson access as “hypocrisy.”
Scalise also argued during a press conference Tuesday morning that the Democrat-led Jan. 6 committee had already released similar types of information, as had former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daughter in a documentary film.
People familiar with the Jan. 6 select committee investigation have emphasized that the footage the panel aired followed intensive negotiations with the Capitol Police, which often pushed back to restrict the length of clips or number of angles the committee could show. Some footage aired by the panel had also been previously made public in ongoing criminal cases stemming from the riot.
It’s unclear what similar steps McCarthy is taking, and as a result his access for Carlson has sparked staunch pushback from Democrats, who say any wide release of unvetted footage could jeopardize Capitol security. The Capitol Police have warned repeatedly in court that any widespread access to security footage could provide a roadmap for potential perpetrators of any future assault on the Capitol.
ut dozens of hours of security footage have also been publicly released in the hundreds of criminal cases that have been brought forward since Jan. 6.
Loudermilk is intimately familiar with the Jan. 6 select committee’s handling of security footage. The panel released film of a group of tourists he led through Capitol office buildings on Jan. 5, 2021 — one of whom approached the Capitol grounds the following day while recording menacing statements about Democratic leaders.
Some Republicans across the ideological spectrum praised McCarthy for his move to release the footage.
“Best if all Americans have access,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who hails from a competitive battleground district. “I don’t hear much about this at home.”
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a member of the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus, praised McCarthy for the move and shrugged off those voicing security concerns: “This place is so convoluted. That’s why they don’t have a map on it … I just got lost trying to get to the tunnel.”
The Jan. 6 footage decision is getting a lot of attention during what Republicans say is an otherwise calm week — so far. In Tuesday morning’s conference meeting, Republicans discussed upcoming bills they will vote on this week, while Scalise also previewed plans for elements of their upcoming agenda, such as a parents’ bill of rights and an energy package set to hit the floor the spring, according to two GOP sources.
House GOP moving to let Jan. 6 defendants access Capitol security footage - POLITICO
There are only 7.8 billion people in the whole wide world…….ummmm…so there’s that part.
Trump collaborates on song with Jan. 6 defendants
BY JUDY KURTZ
03/03/23 04:02 PM ET
Former President Trump is featured on a new song — but he’s not teaming up with a famed singer or musical group for the tune — he’s collaborating with defendants accused of participating in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
In “Justice for All,”which was released on multiple streaming services on Friday, Trump is heard reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The 45th president’s portion on the track follows a chorus of inmates detained on charges related to Jan. 6 — credited on the song as the “J6 Prison Choir” — who sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The end of the song features the chorus repeatedly chanting “USA!”
Trump’s part of the music project was recorded a few weeks ago at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort home, according to Forbes, which was first to report news of the song. The Jan. 6 defendants were reportedly recorded their part via a jailhouse phone.
Money raised from the tune — which is on sale for $1.29 on iTunes and available on Spotify and YouTube — will be directed to their families, Forbes reported.
Trump has voiced support for the prisoners being detained in connection with their alleged involvement in the Capitol insurrection, when supporters of the former president stormed the building in an attempt to block the certification of now-President Biden’s 2020 victory. More than 100 law enforcement officers were injured and several people died as a result of the attack.
Last year, Trump, who was impeached and is under federal investigation for his role in Jan. 6, said during a call-in to a rally held outside a Washington, D.C., jail that the prisoners were being treated “very unfairly.”
The ex-commander in chief said last year that he was “financially supporting” some of the defendants and would “very strongly and very favorably” consider pardoning them if he were to win a second White House term in 2024.
BY JUDY KURTZ
03/03/23 04:02 PM ET
Trump collaborates on song with Jan. 6 defendants
Former President Trump is featured on a new song — but he’s not teaming up with a famed singer or musical group for the tune — he’s collaborating with defendants accused of participating in the dea…
thehill.com
Former President Trump is featured on a new song — but he’s not teaming up with a famed singer or musical group for the tune — he’s collaborating with defendants accused of participating in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
In “Justice for All,”which was released on multiple streaming services on Friday, Trump is heard reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The 45th president’s portion on the track follows a chorus of inmates detained on charges related to Jan. 6 — credited on the song as the “J6 Prison Choir” — who sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The end of the song features the chorus repeatedly chanting “USA!”
Trump’s part of the music project was recorded a few weeks ago at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort home, according to Forbes, which was first to report news of the song. The Jan. 6 defendants were reportedly recorded their part via a jailhouse phone.
Money raised from the tune — which is on sale for $1.29 on iTunes and available on Spotify and YouTube — will be directed to their families, Forbes reported.
Trump has voiced support for the prisoners being detained in connection with their alleged involvement in the Capitol insurrection, when supporters of the former president stormed the building in an attempt to block the certification of now-President Biden’s 2020 victory. More than 100 law enforcement officers were injured and several people died as a result of the attack.
Last year, Trump, who was impeached and is under federal investigation for his role in Jan. 6, said during a call-in to a rally held outside a Washington, D.C., jail that the prisoners were being treated “very unfairly.”
The ex-commander in chief said last year that he was “financially supporting” some of the defendants and would “very strongly and very favorably” consider pardoning them if he were to win a second White House term in 2024.
McCarthy Gave Tucker the Jan. 6 Tapes. Trump Allies Are Threatening to Sue
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says he’s filing a lawsuit against McCarthy within the “next few days”
www.rollingstone.com
Fox News, Tucker Carlson's Jan. 6 tapes made worse by Dominion
Kevin McCarthy’s recent actions are looking more irresponsible and destructive by the day.
Jeffries: ‘No indication’ Capitol Police vetted Jan. 6 footage Tucker Carlson plans to air
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Sunday said he has “no indication” that Capitol Police vetted the footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that Fox News host Tucker Carlson …
thehill.com
This is what happens when you do not do YOUR DUTY as a citizen to be informed about the issues and follow it up by not voting.
It doesn't matter which party you favor but you should be informed and it's your job to do so.
Billionaires and corporations have poured trillions of dollars into keeping voters uninformed and supporting candidates that will pass laws written by them into law.
That's exactly what's happening now. These idiots you see parading around like clowns are just a distraction while state after state passes laws stripping freedoms from people.
Drag laws have nothing to do with drag and everything to do with being able to throw you in jail for whatever the fuck they want. Tennessee already passed legislation that makes protesting a felony IIRC. I don't remember exactly but I know it's aimed straight at protests about police brutality and the murder of black people. Protest and you too can get a pound in the pen.
It doesn't matter which party you favor but you should be informed and it's your job to do so.
Billionaires and corporations have poured trillions of dollars into keeping voters uninformed and supporting candidates that will pass laws written by them into law.
That's exactly what's happening now. These idiots you see parading around like clowns are just a distraction while state after state passes laws stripping freedoms from people.
Drag laws have nothing to do with drag and everything to do with being able to throw you in jail for whatever the fuck they want. Tennessee already passed legislation that makes protesting a felony IIRC. I don't remember exactly but I know it's aimed straight at protests about police brutality and the murder of black people. Protest and you too can get a pound in the pen.
Right....don't vote...but guess what? the enemy is voting for their people and forcing their people to make bills that eventually get turned into laws in order to fuck you over.
lol oh no bro...I understand what you were saying and agree with you 1000%. my comment was more sarcastic and directed at the ignorant "dont vote" crowd
Tucker Carlson: No Honest Person Can Deny This About Jan. 6
Tucker: This Video Tells A Different Story Of Jan 6.
Tucker: This Video Tells A Different Story Of Jan 6.
'Bulls---': GOP senators rebuke Tucker Carlson for downplaying Jan. 6 as 'mostly peaceful'
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the Fox News host's portrayal a "mistake," while Sen. Kevin Cramer said it was “just a lie” to compare Jan. 6 to a peaceful protest.
By Scott Wong, Liz Brown-Kaiser, Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp V
March 7, 2023, 12:05 PM EST / Updated March 7, 2023, 2:47 PM EST
www.nbcnews.com
WASHINGTON — Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans lashed out at conservative Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday after he characterized the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as "mostly peaceful chaos."
At a GOP leadership news conference, McConnell, R-Ky., said he wanted to align himself with the letter sent to the U.S. Capitol Police force by Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger, who denounced Carlson for spreading “offensive and misleading conclusions” about the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, including a “disturbing accusation” that Officer Brian Sicknick’s death had nothing to do with the riot.
"I want to associate myself entirely with the opinion of the chief and the Capitol Police about what happened on Jan. 6," McConnell said as he held up a copy of the letter. "It was a mistake, in my view, for Fox News to depict this in a way that’s completely at variance with what our chief law enforcement official here at the Capitol thinks.”
A handful of other Senate Republicans on Tuesday pushed back against Carlson's claim that Jan. 6 was "peaceful chaos," with Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina blasting the remarks as “bullshit.”
Carlson, the popular but controversial figure on Fox, made the comments to his millions of viewers Monday night as he aired selected clips of never-before-seen video of the Capitol on Jan. 6 and downplayed the hourslong insurrection, in which 140 police officers were injured.
“I think it’s bullshit,” Tillis told reporters in the Capitol.
“I was here. I was down there, and I saw maybe a few tourists, a few people who got caught up in things,” he added. “But when you see police barricades breached, when you see police officers assaulted, all of that ... if you were just a tourist you should’ve probably lined up at the visitors’ center and came in on an orderly basis.”
Tillis said Carlson's depiction was “inexcusable” and compared it to the remarks of people who downplayed the fires and "devastation" during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020 following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man.
Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota conservative, said he was in the Capitol on Jan. 6 and firmly rejected Carlson's portrayal of that day as “some rowdy peaceful protest of Boy Scouts.”
“I think that breaking through glass windows and doors to get into the United States Capitol against the borders of police is a crime. I think particularly when you come into the chambers, when you start opening the members' desks, when you stand up in their balcony — to somehow put that in the same category as, you know, permitted peaceful protest is just a lie,” Cramer said.
“I think it doesn’t do any good for the narrative,” he added.
Carlson said on his show Monday night that while there were a few bad apples, most of the Jan. 6 rioters were peaceful, and he called them “sightseers,” not “insurrectionists.”
“The footage does not show an insurrection or a riot in progress,” he said. “Instead, it shows police escorting people through the building."
Asked whether House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., made a mistake by giving thousands of hours of Jan. 6 video exclusively to Carlson, McConnell declined to criticize his fellow GOP leader, saying, “My concern is how it was depicted."
“Clearly the chief of the Capitol police correctly described what most of us witnessed on Jan. 6,” added McConnell, who declined several times to criticize McCarthy.
Cramer said McCarthy could have given the video to “all sources equally,” rather than “one who is particularly good at conservative entertainment.”
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said it’s “really sad to see Tucker Carlson go off the rails like that,” saying he’s “joining a range of shock jocks that are disappointing America and feeding falsehoods.”
“The American people saw what happened on Jan. 6." Romney told reporters. "They’ve seen the people that got injured. They saw the damage to the building. You can’t hide the truth by selectively picking a few minutes out of tapes and saying this is what went on. It’s so absurd. It’s nonsense.
“It’s a very dangerous thing to do, to suggest that attacking the Capitol of the United States is in any way acceptable and it’s anything other than a serious crime, against democracy and against our country," Romney said. "And people saw that it was violent and destructive and should never happen again. But trying to normalize that behavior is dangerous and disgusting.”
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., also rejected Carlson’s comments.
“I was there on Jan. 6. I saw what happened. I saw the aftermath. There was violence on Jan. 6,” Rounds told reporters.
“I think the footage that’s available should be made available to all networks and everybody should be able to see for themselves just what kind of chaos we had on that day.”
The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said the House Jan. 6 committee should be investigated, including why it did not focus much on the bombs that were planted at the Democratic and Republican national committee headquarters the night before the Capitol attack. But, he stated, "We don't want to whitewash January the 6th."
"I think the Jan. 6 committee had a partisan view of things, and I'd like to know more about what happened that day and the day before," Graham added. "But I'm not interested in whitewashing the Covid lab theory, and I'm not interested in whitewashing Jan. 6."
Carlson said his team is sifting through 44,000 hours of Jan. 6 video and will release segments on his program to demonstrate that the attempt to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory was not violent — an assertion Democrats, many Republicans, police officers and others in the Capitol that day roundly reject.
“‘Deadly insurrection’ — everything about that phrase is a lie,” Carlson said Monday night. “Very little about Jan. 6 was organized or violent. Surveillance video from inside the Capitol shows mostly peaceful chaos.”
What did not appear on Carlson’s program Monday evening was video showing police and rioters engaged in extended violent clashes. About 140 police officers were assaulted that day.
Manger said in a letter to his officers that Carlson's show was “filled with offensive and misleading conclusions about the January 6th attack," adding that the show “never reached out to the department to provide accurate context.”
“The program conveniently cherry-picked from the calmer moments of our 41,000 hours of video,” Manger wrote in the letter, which was obtained by NBC News. “The commentary fails to provide context about the chaos and violence that happened before or during these less tense moments.”
Ticking through what he called he called "false" and "disturbing" allegations, Manger wrote, "This department stands by the officers in the video that was shown last night."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the Fox News host's portrayal a "mistake," while Sen. Kevin Cramer said it was “just a lie” to compare Jan. 6 to a peaceful protest.
By Scott Wong, Liz Brown-Kaiser, Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp V
March 7, 2023, 12:05 PM EST / Updated March 7, 2023, 2:47 PM EST
'Bulls---': GOP senators rebuke Tucker Carlson for downplaying Jan. 6 as 'mostly peaceful'
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the Fox News host's portrayal a "mistake," while Sen. Kevin Cramer said it was “just a lie” to compare Jan. 6 to a peaceful protest.
WASHINGTON — Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans lashed out at conservative Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday after he characterized the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as "mostly peaceful chaos."
At a GOP leadership news conference, McConnell, R-Ky., said he wanted to align himself with the letter sent to the U.S. Capitol Police force by Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger, who denounced Carlson for spreading “offensive and misleading conclusions” about the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, including a “disturbing accusation” that Officer Brian Sicknick’s death had nothing to do with the riot.
"I want to associate myself entirely with the opinion of the chief and the Capitol Police about what happened on Jan. 6," McConnell said as he held up a copy of the letter. "It was a mistake, in my view, for Fox News to depict this in a way that’s completely at variance with what our chief law enforcement official here at the Capitol thinks.”
A handful of other Senate Republicans on Tuesday pushed back against Carlson's claim that Jan. 6 was "peaceful chaos," with Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina blasting the remarks as “bullshit.”
Carlson, the popular but controversial figure on Fox, made the comments to his millions of viewers Monday night as he aired selected clips of never-before-seen video of the Capitol on Jan. 6 and downplayed the hourslong insurrection, in which 140 police officers were injured.
“I think it’s bullshit,” Tillis told reporters in the Capitol.
“I was here. I was down there, and I saw maybe a few tourists, a few people who got caught up in things,” he added. “But when you see police barricades breached, when you see police officers assaulted, all of that ... if you were just a tourist you should’ve probably lined up at the visitors’ center and came in on an orderly basis.”
Tillis said Carlson's depiction was “inexcusable” and compared it to the remarks of people who downplayed the fires and "devastation" during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020 following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man.
Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota conservative, said he was in the Capitol on Jan. 6 and firmly rejected Carlson's portrayal of that day as “some rowdy peaceful protest of Boy Scouts.”
“I think that breaking through glass windows and doors to get into the United States Capitol against the borders of police is a crime. I think particularly when you come into the chambers, when you start opening the members' desks, when you stand up in their balcony — to somehow put that in the same category as, you know, permitted peaceful protest is just a lie,” Cramer said.
“I think it doesn’t do any good for the narrative,” he added.
Carlson said on his show Monday night that while there were a few bad apples, most of the Jan. 6 rioters were peaceful, and he called them “sightseers,” not “insurrectionists.”
“The footage does not show an insurrection or a riot in progress,” he said. “Instead, it shows police escorting people through the building."
Asked whether House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., made a mistake by giving thousands of hours of Jan. 6 video exclusively to Carlson, McConnell declined to criticize his fellow GOP leader, saying, “My concern is how it was depicted."
“Clearly the chief of the Capitol police correctly described what most of us witnessed on Jan. 6,” added McConnell, who declined several times to criticize McCarthy.
Cramer said McCarthy could have given the video to “all sources equally,” rather than “one who is particularly good at conservative entertainment.”
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said it’s “really sad to see Tucker Carlson go off the rails like that,” saying he’s “joining a range of shock jocks that are disappointing America and feeding falsehoods.”
“The American people saw what happened on Jan. 6." Romney told reporters. "They’ve seen the people that got injured. They saw the damage to the building. You can’t hide the truth by selectively picking a few minutes out of tapes and saying this is what went on. It’s so absurd. It’s nonsense.
“It’s a very dangerous thing to do, to suggest that attacking the Capitol of the United States is in any way acceptable and it’s anything other than a serious crime, against democracy and against our country," Romney said. "And people saw that it was violent and destructive and should never happen again. But trying to normalize that behavior is dangerous and disgusting.”
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., also rejected Carlson’s comments.
“I was there on Jan. 6. I saw what happened. I saw the aftermath. There was violence on Jan. 6,” Rounds told reporters.
“I think the footage that’s available should be made available to all networks and everybody should be able to see for themselves just what kind of chaos we had on that day.”
The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said the House Jan. 6 committee should be investigated, including why it did not focus much on the bombs that were planted at the Democratic and Republican national committee headquarters the night before the Capitol attack. But, he stated, "We don't want to whitewash January the 6th."
"I think the Jan. 6 committee had a partisan view of things, and I'd like to know more about what happened that day and the day before," Graham added. "But I'm not interested in whitewashing the Covid lab theory, and I'm not interested in whitewashing Jan. 6."
Carlson said his team is sifting through 44,000 hours of Jan. 6 video and will release segments on his program to demonstrate that the attempt to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory was not violent — an assertion Democrats, many Republicans, police officers and others in the Capitol that day roundly reject.
“‘Deadly insurrection’ — everything about that phrase is a lie,” Carlson said Monday night. “Very little about Jan. 6 was organized or violent. Surveillance video from inside the Capitol shows mostly peaceful chaos.”
What did not appear on Carlson’s program Monday evening was video showing police and rioters engaged in extended violent clashes. About 140 police officers were assaulted that day.
Manger said in a letter to his officers that Carlson's show was “filled with offensive and misleading conclusions about the January 6th attack," adding that the show “never reached out to the department to provide accurate context.”
“The program conveniently cherry-picked from the calmer moments of our 41,000 hours of video,” Manger wrote in the letter, which was obtained by NBC News. “The commentary fails to provide context about the chaos and violence that happened before or during these less tense moments.”
Ticking through what he called he called "false" and "disturbing" allegations, Manger wrote, "This department stands by the officers in the video that was shown last night."
Former Ohio House speaker convicted in $60 million bribery scheme
Former state House Speaker Larry Householder and former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges were convicted Thursday in a $60 million bribery scheme that federal prosecutors have called the largest corruption case in state history.
A jury in Cincinnati found the two guilty of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving bribery and money laundering, after about 9.5 half hours of deliberations over two days.
Former Ohio House speaker convicted in $60 million bribery scheme
Larry Householder was convicted in a $60 million bribery scheme that federal prosecutors called the largest corruption case in state history.
www.cbsnews.com
pays a 200 dollar fineEx-Trump attorney admits statements about 2020 election were false and is censured by judge
CNN
—
Jenna Ellis was censured by a disciplinary judge in Colorado Wednesday, in the latest effort to hold accountable attorneys who boosted former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election reversal gambits.
Ellis signed a stipulation stating that several comments she made about the 2020 election violated professional ethics rules barring reckless, knowing or intentional misrepresentations by attorneys, according to documents posted by Colorado’s Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. As part of the stipulation, Ellis agrees to pay $224.
