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US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger on Tuesday ripped into Fox Information host Tucker Carlson over his commentary about footage from the January 6, 2021, rebellion that he aired Monday night time, saying the host “cherry-picked” from the footage to current “offensive” and “deceptive” conclusions concerning the assault.
“Final night time an opinion program aired commentary that was stuffed with offensive and deceptive conclusions concerning the January 6 assault,” Manger wrote in an inner division memo obtained by CNN, including that Carlson’s present didn’t attain out to the police division “to supply correct context.”
“This system conveniently cherry-picked from the calmer moments of our 41,000 hours of video. The commentary fails to supply context concerning the chaos and violence that occurred earlier than or throughout these much less tense moments,” Manger stated.
Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy granted Carlson entry to greater than 40,000 hours of the Capitol safety footage from January 6. Carlson, who used the footage in an try and downplay the violence and defend the pro-Trump mob, claimed he checked with Capitol Police earlier than airing the footage.
The Capitol Police has repeatedly warned that launch of all safety footage from the Capitol might pose a possible safety threat for the constructing. CNN has reached out to Capitol Police for remark.
CNN and different information organizations have additionally requested entry to the safety footage. McCarthy’s workplace stated it’s nonetheless figuring out the method to make the footage “extra broadly out there” however didn’t remark additional. The speaker stated Tuesday the footage can be launched to all media organizations, however didn’t say when.
Within the memo, Manger particularly known as out Carlson’s choice to air never-before-seen surveillance footage that he stated confirmed USCP officer Brian Sicknick, who died at some point after the January 6 rebellion. Carlson stated he centered on this as a result of Democrats have turned Sicknick right into a “prop” and a “martyr” by overstating the hyperlinks between his dying and the rebellion.
Carlson used the brand new video to attempt to undermine the identified info surrounding Sicknick’s dying, and to argue that January 6 was much less violent and “lethal” than it has been portrayed.
“Lastly, probably the most disturbing accusation from final night time was that our late pal and colleague Brian Sicknick’s dying had nothing to do together with his heroic actions on January 6,” Manger wrote. “The Division maintains, as anybody with frequent sense would, that had Officer Sicknick not fought valiantly for hours on the day he was violently assaulted, Officer Sicknick wouldn’t have died the subsequent day.”
The chief additionally heaped reward on his pressure for his or her work defending the Capitol the day of the assault, writing: “You fought like hell on January 6 and risked your lives to guard the Structure and all the pieces this nation stands for. You, together with our legislation enforcement companions, saved each member of Congress and their employees.”
A number of congressional Republicans, most notably Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell, have expressed concern with Carlson’s portrayal of the assault.
“With regard to the presentation on Fox Information final night time, I wish to affiliate myself solely with the opinion of the Chief of the Capitol Police about what occurred on January 6,” McConnell instructed reporters on the Capitol Tuesday.
Based on the Justice Division, 140 officers have been assaulted on the Capitol that day, together with 60 Metropolitan Law enforcement officials and 80 USCP officers.
McCarthy instructed reporters Tuesday that he had no regrets about releasing the safety footage to Carlson and, when pushed on whether or not he agrees with Carlson’s characterization of the assault on the Capitol, stated, “Every individual comes up with their very own conclusion.”
However the California Republican as soon as spoke concerning the violence on the Capitol in starkly completely different phrases than the narrative Carlson is presenting, CNN’s KFile has reported.
This story had been up to date with further particulars.