wader
Well-Known Angler
Capitol Police chief slams Carlson's comments about Jan. 6 video as 'offensive and misleading' in internal memo
964
KATHERINE FAULDERS, RACHEL SCOTT and LUKE BARR
Tue, March 7, 2023 at 3:04 PM EST
Chief Thomas Manger sent an internal memo to U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday saying the commentary on Fox News host Tucker Carlson's program Monday night was "filled with offensive and misleading conclusions about the January 6 attack."
The memo, obtained by ABC News, said "the opinion program never reached out to the Department to provide accurate context."
"The program conveniently cherry-picked from the calmer moments of our 41,000 hours of video," Manger wrote. "The commentary fails to provide context about the chaos and violence that happened before or during the less tense moments."
Even before being asked by reporters, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell held up a printed copy of the Capitol Police internal memo on Tuesday afternoon.
"With regard to the presentation on Fox News last night, I want to associate myself entirely with the opinion of the Capitol Police about what happened on January 6," McConnell said.
Asked if it were a mistake to give security footage to Carlson, McConnell said, "My concern is how it was depicted, which was a different issue. Clearly the chief of the Capitol Police, in my view, correctly describes what most of us witnessed firsthand on January 6. So, that's my reaction to it. It was a mistake, in my view, for Fox News to depict this in a way that is completely at variance with what our chief law enforcement official here at the Capitol thinks."
In contrast to Carlson's claims now, in the days right after Jan. 6, McCarthy said, "Let me be clear, last week's violent attack on the Capitol was undemocratic, un-American, and criminal."
Attorney General Merrick Garland, asked on Tuesday about Carlson's program, said, "I think it's very clear what happened on January 6."
"I think all Americans saw what happened on January 6, and most of it saw most of us, saw it as it was happening," Garland said at a news conference. "It was a violent attack on a fundamental tenant of American democracy -- that power is peacefully transferred from one administration to another. Over 100 officers were assaulted on that day. Five officers died. We have charged more than 1000 people with their crimes on that day and more than 500 have already been convicted. I think it's very clear what happened on January 6."
Carlson and some House Republicans have been hyping the report up for weeks, but after viewing 40,000 hours of video given to him by McCarthy, he played on repeat only select scenes of the security camera footage.
?
