Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has broken his silence on Tucker Carlson’s bombshell Jan. 6 Tapes report last night, blasting it as a “mistake.”
McConnell joined with Democrats in slamming Carlson for exposing how the anti-Trump Jan. 6 Committee and its allies in the media mislead the public about the events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“My concern is how it was depicted,” McConnell said.
“Clearly, the chief of the Capitol Police correctly describes what most of us witnessed firsthand on January 6th.”
WATCH:
McConnell said it was a “mistake” for Tucker Carlson to show January 6 footage that the government fought to keep hidden. pic.twitter.com/6BMvmJIrpg
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 7, 2023
Some other GOP senators agreed with McConnell and the Democrats.
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) said, “It was an attack on the Capitol.”
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) said: “Breaking through glass windows and doors is a crime.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said: “What happened that day shouldn’t have happened.”
President Donald Trump disagrees, however, and is calling for those prosecuted for Jan. 6 to be released from prison.
“The new surveillance footage of the January 6th Events sheds an entirely different light on what actually happened,” Trump said.
“The Police story is sad and difficult to watch.
“Let them go free, now!”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is now calling on Fox News boss Rupert Murdoch to stop Carlson from running any more segments on the tapes.
Schumer issued a statement condemning Carlson while making several false claims about Jan. 6 and deceitfully referring to it as an “attack” and a “violent insurrection.”
“Fox News host Tucker Carlson ran a lengthy segment last night arguing the January 6 Capitol attack was not a violent insurrection,” Schumer said.
“Mr. Carlson told the bald-faced lie that the Capitol attack, which we all saw with our own eyes, was somehow not an attack at all.
“He tried to argue it was nothing more than a peaceful sightseeing tour.
“Can you imagine? A nonviolent demonstration, a perfectly fine and appropriate instance of people expressing their opinion.
“I, so many others who were here in the Capitol, and millions and millions of Americans are just furious with Tucker Carlson and Kevin McCarthy today.
“Many of my staff were here at the Capitol on January 6th.
“Their lives were put in danger, as were the lives of many of my colleagues, as well as police, maintenance staff, reporters, countless others.
“At one point, I was within 30 feet of the rioters.
“One of them, I was told, shouted out, ‘Let’s get him!’ before my detail pulled me away and we ran in the other direction.
“Fox News, Rupert Murdoch: Tell Carlson not to run a second segment of lies.
“You know it’s a lie,” Schumer claimed.
“You’ve admitted it’s a lie.
“And Speaker McCarthy is every bit as culpable as Mr. Carlson.
“Speaker McCarthy’s decision to share security footage with Fox looked like a mistake from the very beginning.
“But after last night, it looks like a disaster.
“Speaker McCarthy has played a treacherous, a treacherous game by catering to the hard right.
“It’s all the more shameful because Speaker McCarthy knows precisely what kind of customer Mr. Carlson is.
“He’s not surprised by this outcome.
“What a low point for Speaker McCarthy.
“What a low point for Fox News.
“It’s an insult to every police officer who was on the scene that terrible, fearful day.
“It’s an insult to the memory of every single person who perished in connection to the attack, especially to the memory of Brian Sicknick.
“Nonviolent? Ask the Sicknick family.
“It makes me sick just thinking about what his family must be going through this morning.
“And it’s an insult to everyone who cares about our democracy and wishes to preserve the dream of our founders in our day, in our age.
“I condemn Mr. Carlson for siding with the enemies of democracy.
“I strongly condemn Speaker McCarthy’s actions and fiercely oppose his decision to share this footage with Carlson,” he said.
“I urge Fox News to order Carlson to cease propagating the big lie on his network and to level with their viewers about the truth. The truth!
“Behind the efforts to mislead the public conduct like theirs is just asking for another January 6th to happen.”
GOP senators react to Fox’s Tucker Carlson whitewashing 1/6 and calling it “mostly peaceful.”
Thune (SD): “It was an attack on the Capitol.”
Cramer (ND): “Breaking through glass windows and doors … is a crime.”
Grassley (IA): “What happened that day shouldn’t have happened.” pic.twitter.com/FVxVDFneG8
— The Recount (@therecount) March 7, 2023
