Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said he will “slowly roll out” official January 6th tapes to other news outlets after taking criticism for giving Fox News host Tucker Carlson exclusive access.
“We will slowly roll out to every individual news agency. They can come see the tapes as well,” McCarthy said in an interview with Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” “Let everyone see them to bring their own judgment.”
McCarthy was criticized by both Democrats and some Republicans for giving over 40,000 hours of tapes to Carlson. They took further issue with Carlson’s emphasis on some of the less offensive footage.
Former Vice President Mike Pence called out Carlson’s portrayal of the day as “mostly peaceful chaos”, saying he and his family were personally endangered by the breach.
“Make no mistake about it, what happened that day was a disgrace,” Pence said in a speech over the weekend. “And it mocks decency to portray it any other way.”
McCarthy continues to stand by his decision to share the tapes, calling it in the interest of public transparency.
“I didn’t give the tapes. I allowed [Carlson] to come see them, just like an exclusive with anybody else,” McCarthy said. “My goal here is transparency.”
“But one thing I understand in America, we should have equal justice,” McCarthy followed up. “What really raises the point with me is, why did I watch federal courts, why did I watch cities burn, federal agencies or something, and nobody arrested there? I think we should have equal justice across this country.”
He is referencing the numerous demonstrations against police misconduct that took place in a number of cities across the country after George Floyd’s death. The demonstrations often turned violent in the night, where police buildings and cars were ravaged and also unrelated businesses were looted and burned.
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