CNN
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US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger ripped Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday over his comment on footage of the Jan. 6, 2021, uprising he aired on Monday evening, claiming the host was “chosen” from the footage to present “offensive”. and “misleading” conclusions about the attack.
“Last night, an opinion program aired comments filled with offensive and misleading conclusions about the January 6 attack,” Manger wrote in an internal memo obtained by CNN, adding that Carlson’s show does not had not contacted the police department “to provide specific background.
“The program was carefully chosen from the quieter moments of our 41,000 hours of video. The commentary does not provide context for the chaos and violence that occurred before or during these less tense moments,” said Manger .
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy granted Carlson access to more than 40,000 hours of Capitol security footage from Jan. 6. Carlson, who used the footage to try to downplay the violence and defend the pro-Trump crowd, said he checked with Capitol police before releasing the footage.
Capitol Police have continually warned that the release of all Capitol security footage could pose a potential security risk to the building. CNN has contacted Capitol Police for comment.
CNN and other news organizations have also requested access to security footage. McCarthy’s office said it was still working on the process to make the images “more widely available,” but did not comment further.
In the memo, Manger specifically called out Carlson’s decision to release never-before-seen surveillance footage he said showed USCP officer Brian Sicknick, who died a day after the Jan. 6 uprising. Carlson said he focused on it because Democrats turned Sicknick into a “prop” and a “martyr” by exaggerating the links between his death and the insurgency.
Carlson used the new video to try to undermine the known facts surrounding Sicknick’s death and to argue that Jan. 6 was less violent and “deadly” than portrayed.
“Finally, the most disturbing accusation last night was that the death of our late friend and colleague Brian Sicknick had nothing to do with his heroic actions on January 6th,” Manger wrote. “The Department contends, as any sane person would, that if Officer Sicknick had not fought valiantly for hours the day he was violently assaulted, Officer Sicknick would not have died the next day.”
The leader also praised his strength for his work defending the Capitol on the day of the attack, writing, “You fought like hell on January 6 and risked your life to protect the Constitution and everything. what this country stands for. You, along with our law enforcement partners, have saved every member of Congress and their staff.
Several Congressional Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have expressed concern over Carlson’s portrayal of the attack.
“In regards to the presentation on Fox News last night, I want to associate myself entirely with the opinion of the Capitol’s Chief of Police on what happened on January 6th,” McConnell told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday. .
According to the Department of Justice, 140 officers were assaulted at the Capitol that day, including 60 Metropolitan Police officers and 80 USCP officers.
This story has been updated with additional details.
