House Speaker Kevin McCarthy recently stated his intention to gradually release security footage recorded during the January 6 Capitol breach to various news outlets in a controlled fashion. On Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” McCarthy revealed he had access to 41,000 hours of surveillance footage which he let host Tucker Carlson view, who subsequently shared some of the footage.
“Taken collectively,” Carlson stated, “the video record does not support the assertion that January 6 was an insurrection. In fact, it dispels that notion.”
Democrats, including President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have condemned McCarthy for sharing the footage with Carlson. However, McCarthy stood by his decision in the name of transparency, “I didn’t give him (Carlson) access to the tapes. My goal here is transparency.”
McCarthy wants ‘equal justice’ across the nation
McCarthy stressed the importance of equal justice and transparency, citing protests after George Floyd’s death in 2020. He expressed concern that the government has withheld information from Americans, asserting that transparency is essential for the American people.
“We need equal justice across this nation,” he said. “And it’s really concerning to me that some government entities have withheld information from Americans. That will never happen under our watch, regardless of what information says or doesn’t say.”
Last week, McCarthy informed Breitbart News that the security footage from January 6 must still go through a security review before being made public. However, Republican Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, confirmed to CBS’s “Face the Nation” that McCarthy assured him that all media would have access to this footage.
“He has given me assurances, and I believe he will release all footage from that day to the media. As someone who believes in freedom of the press, I think Americans deserve to see all footage from that day.”
Senator Kevin Cramer, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, said he appreciates the transparency. However, he feels the footage should have been simultaneously released to all news outlets.
“I believe transparency to be the best policy. Kevin McCarthy made a wise decision by doing this – I just wish he’d released it simultaneously to everyone”.
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