According to Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, the full security footage from January 6th, much of which has been kept hidden, will soon be released.
That came when McCarthy, while in the Capitol, was asked about releasing the footage by a reporter who said “… last Congress called on Speaker Pelosi at the time to release the, the adjacent Capitol security footage of all things that happened on that day. Is that something that you’d be interested in doing? Congressman Gates said that he said that you would be willing to do that did that?”
McCarthy, somewhat surprisingly, said “Yeah, I think the public should see what has happened on that.”
Continuing, he went on to say that he would not act like former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and politicize the footage but would release it in a thoughtful manner, saying:
“I’ve watched what Nancy Pelosi did, where she politicized it. Were for the first time in the history as a speaker, not allowing the minority to appoint to a committee to pick and choose. We watched the politicization of this, I think the American public should actually see all what happened instead of a report that’s written for political basis. And I think the answer we’re looking through that I want to be very thoughtful about it, but yes, I’m engaged to do that.”
Watch him here:
.@SpeakerMcCarthy says he’s going to release all of the security footage from January 6. pic.twitter.com/RHaSnwJDAp
— The Dirty Truth (Josh) (@AKA_RealDirty) January 12, 2023
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In deciding to release the footage, McCarthy is doing just what Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson said he should do to show that he’s conservative and has the attitude the right needs right now, saying:
McCarthy is going to have to give them something real, not more airy promises, which he specializes in. He’s going to have to give them actual concessions. If Kevin McCarthy wants to be the speaker, he is going to have to do things he would never do otherwise.
Like what? We can think of at least two things. First, released the January 6 files—not some of the January 6 files and video—all of it. And not just some phony committee that will hide them, that in fact is designed to hide them from the public, but put them online. Release them to the public directly so the rest of us can finally know what actually happened on January 6, 2021. It’s been two years. It’s long overdue. It’s our right as Americans to know, and McCarthy could tell us.
McCarthy is, admittedly, late in doing so given that Tucker called for the January 6th footage to be released while the Speaker battle was ongoing. But, still, the fact that McCarthy is even saying he will release it is a step in the right direction and a signal that McCarthy might be listening more to the base and House Freedom Caucus than the Establishment GOP and National Security State/”Intelligence Community.”
It remains to be seen, however, if he will follow through or backtrack as pressure is inevitably exerted on him from both directions.