Newly released footage of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots have sparked controversy among US lawmakers who criticized the current House of Representatives Speaker for sharing it with Fox News.
Kevin McCarthy gave 44,000 hours of security footage of the riots to Fox News host Tucker Carlson three weeks ago and the first recordings were released late Monday.
The footage shows Jacob Chansley, also known as "QAnon Shaman," walking around the building unhindered and escorted by police on the Senate floor.
"Thank you heavenly father for taking the inspiration needed to these police officers to allow us into the building," he said in the Senate chamber, according to the footage.
Carlson, known for his support of former President Donald Trump, claims the media misled the public by spreading images of the clashes on Jan. 6 and federal agents might be those inciting violence.
Carlson said of the footage Monday that "the footage does not show an insurrection or a riot in progress."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized McCarthy for sharing the footage with the Fox News host and condemned Carlson for airing the scenes.
"With disregard of the risks and knowing full well he was lying, lying to his audience, Fox News host Tucker Carlson ran a lengthy segment last night, arguing the January 6 Capitol attack was not a violent insurrection," Schumer said on the Senate floor. "To say January 6 was not violent is a lie, a lie pure and simple.”
Rep. Bennie Thompson, the former chairman of the Jan. 6 Committee, denounced McCarthy for providing Carlson with access to the videos.
It was a “dereliction of duty for Kevin McCarthy to give Tucker Carlson carte blanche access to sensitive U.S. Capitol security surveillance footage from one of the darkest days in the history of our democracy," Thompson said in a statement.
McCarthy defended his decision and said he worked with Capitol Police to make sure "security is taken care of" in response to security concerns.
Source: Anadolu Agency