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Maryland Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin called out Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy for giving Fox News host Tucker Carlson access to 41,000 hours of surveillance footage taken on January 6, 2021.
Raskin called McCarthy’s release of the Capitol riot footage to Carlson “an astounding ethical collapse" and suggested making the footage available would pose a major security threat.
He added:
"What security precautions were taken to keep this from becoming a roadmap for 2024 insurrection?"
"Why isn’t it available to all media & public?"
"Smell the MAGA propaganda coming."
\u201cMcCarthy giving 40,000 hrs of Jan. 6 tape to a pro-Putin journalist is an astounding ethical collapse. What security precautions were taken to keep this from becoming a roadmap for 2024 insurrection? Why isn\u2019t it available to all media & public? Smell the MAGA propaganda coming.\u201d— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@Rep. Jamie Raskin) 1676924597
McCarthy sought the January 6 footage as far back as November 2022 when he demanded the House Select Committee tasked with investigating the insurrection preserve all gathered evidence, testimony and transcripts—which was already mandated under House rules.
McCarthy wrote in a letter to Mississippi Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson—who chaired the House Select Committee—that House Republicans would investigate on their own “why the Capitol complex was not secure," arguing the committee had spent too much time focusing on Trump's actions that day.
According to Axios, the first publication to report McCarthy shared the footage with Carlson, excerpts of the footage will air on Fox News in the coming weeks.
Carlson told the publication “there was never any legitimate reason for this footage to remain secret" and said it's "impossible for [him] to understand why any honest person would be bothered by that.”
Many have criticized McCarthy since news the footage had been shared with Fox went public.
\u201cKevin McCarthy turned over Jan 6 videos to right-wing propagandist Tucker Carlson.\n\nA man who spews Kremlin talking points. Suggests Jan 6 was a false flag. And spreads the Big Lie.\n\nMake no mistake: This isn\u2019t about transparency, it\u2019s about fueling dangerous conspiracy theories.\u201d— Adam Schiff (@Adam Schiff) 1676924791
\u201cKevin McCarthy just turned over the location of every security camera in the Capitol to Tucker Carlson.\n\nJust so the next time the terrorists attack the Capitol they'll have all the details of the security system.\u201d— Rick Wilson (@Rick Wilson) 1676945666
\u201cThis reveals as much about Kevin McCarthy as it does about Tucker Carlson. https://t.co/k9x8w67JO5\u201d— Brian Stelter (@Brian Stelter) 1676907495
\u201cTucker is now going to make money off exclusive J6 footage that was property of the US Congress and gifted to him by Kevin McCarthy. He will literally profit off footage of an incident that he has lied about for two years. He will also cover up parts that don\u2019t fit his narrative.\u201d— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1676938121
\u201cKevin McCarthy gave away January 6 tapes to Tucker Carlson that reveal Capitol security cameras, safe room locations, and other security capabilities. Tucker will then selectively release this information to MAGA extremists.\n\nMcCarthy is enabling the next insurrection.\u201d— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen) 1676994804
\u201cBOOM: Jamie Raskin calls out Tucker Carlson and explains the risks Kevin McCarthy put the capitol under! Who else is sickened by McCarthy? \u270b\u267b\ufe0f\u201d— Rich from Cali \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f (@Rich from Cali \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f) 1677032186
\u201cDid Tucker Carlson or Fox News execs promise Kevin McCarthy anything of value for granting exclusive access to Jan 6 footage? If they did that is a FELONY: 18 U.S. Code Section 201 - "Bribery of public officials and witnesses." There must be a criminal investigation!\u201d— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@(((DeanObeidallah)))) 1677004669
\u201cThe disclosure of Capitol security cameras, safe room locations, and other security capabilities, as Kevin McCarthy did when he turned over January 6 tapes to Tucker Carlson, is nothing short of treason, IMHO. \u2014 Why hasn\u2019t McCarthy been arrested yet?\u201d— Andrea Junker (@Andrea Junker) 1676997268
Carlson has been perhaps Fox News' biggest mouthpiece for lies about election integrity.
However, according to a recent filing in Dominion Voting Systems' lawsuit against Fox News, the network's hosts and producers privately shared misgivings and criticisms about Trump's falsehoods about election fraud even as the network continued to promote his claims.
Carlson himself cast doubt on Trump's claims in text messages to his producer, Alex Pfeiffer, referring to Trump as a "demonic force" and a "destroyer" in the aftermath of the Capitol riot.
In fact, Pfeiffer agreed with Carlson, responding that “many on ‘our side’ are being reckless demagogues right now" as Trump railed against Fox News for calling the state of Arizona for Democrat Joe Biden on Electon Night.
Carlson worried the network's decision would have an adverse impact, saying the team had "worked really hard to build what [they] have" and that it infuriated him to see "those f**kers... destroying our credibility."