Kevin McCarthy rewards the pro- Trump radicals who did what they did

Carlson handed over the January 6 security tapes: Why did he choose not to give the footage to a friendly conservative media outlet?

Instead, McCarthy opted to give the footage to a friendly conservative media network. Carlson has been a vocal supporter of releasing the footage and was the one who gave the exclusive to him. Carlson has been a significant critic of McCarthy, so this move may help him in his attempt to hold together both the conservative and moderate wings of his Republican conference.

The highly unusual move – a House speaker handing over a massive trove of internal government materials to a friendly media outlet – comes after the California Republican faced significant pressure from his right flank to relitigate the work of the House select committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, insurrection.

McCarthy has adopted principled justifications that mock his critics. He told The New York Times he handed over the security tapes because he had “promised” to do so. The speaker gave such an undertaking to Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a GOP source told CNN’s Melanie Zanona, in his quest to secure the gavel, but the apparent deal did not specify that Carlson should get the footage. McCarthy suggested to the Times that he was doing it in the interests of transparency. The tapes do belong to the American public, and I said that when asked in the press. I think sunshine makes people make their own decisions.

Carlson has been one of the most prominent promoters of January 6 conspiracy theories. Most notably, he has devoted significant airtime to the false claim that liberal “deep state” partisans within the FBI orchestrated the insurrection as a way to undermine former President Donald Trump. He interviewed a few rioters who were subsequently charged by the Justice Department.

The source said there were discussions about what restrictions should be placed on the video and that it was not certain if Carlson would be allowed to air it. Conservatives are worried about giving the video footage to Carlson since he has spread conspiracy theories and downplayed the violence of Trump supporters.

At a press conference a month ago, McCarthy said he supported releasing the full January 6 security footage. I think the public should see what happened.”

The now-defunct January 6 committee got access to all the security footage from US Capitol Police during its investigation, but did not release certain clips for security reasons. A source familiar with the panel’s work told CNN that the unreleased footage was considered especially sensitive because it showed the movements of top officials while they evacuated to safety.

The ranking member of the Homeland Security committee said in a statement that if McCarthy granted Carlson access, he owes the American people an explanation.

When McCarthy bows and grovels at Carlson: How the January 6 attack affected the American people, the media and the House of Representatives

There are thousands of hours of unused footage from the January 6 attack that the defendants have access to, but they are not allowed to make public the clips because they are under protective order.

The release of a single video from a U.S. Capitol interior surveillance camera is the best way to let the public know what happened, according to prosecutors.

“I was asked in the press about these tapes, and I said they do belong to the American public. He told the Times that sunshine lets people make their own decisions.

McCarthy is hoping that outsourcing this work to the media will be a way to appease his right flank without upsetting his moderates and majority makers.

McCarthy is currying favor with a past critic and supremely powerful media host he’d love to get on his side as he tries to rule his conference and court the conservative base. He’s already used the effort in fundraising appeals. It is believed that his move may whitewash Trump’s role in the insurrection, weeks after he played a part in helping him win the speakership.

If McCarthy is good at anything, it is reading the political tea leaves. His behavior offers insight into the power dynamics of the GOP. It’s worth paying close attention to when McCarthy bows and grovels at Carlson.

The California Republican handed hard-right House members with plum committee assignments, dumped several high-profile Democrats from key panels to please the conservative media universe, launched investigations into the “weaponization” of government against Republicans like former President Donald Trump and gave a pass to Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene when she heckled President Joe Biden during the State of the Union address or suggested “national divorce” between red and blue states. He didn’t demand the resignation of New York congressman George Santos, who may be an embarrassment but his seat is crucial to the GOP’s small majority.

He is not giving them to the American people, or releasing them to all media, at this time. The speaker has an offer for access to a conservative TV host who has a secret agenda. Had he wanted to create that ray of sunshine, McCarthy could have posted them online, tasked congressional committees to examine them or invited other media outlets to also view them.

McCarthy’s stances have led to criticism and enraged Democrats, who say his release of the footage to Carlson could endanger the security of the Capitol. But in America’s bitter political climate, appealing to activist political bases is often the first consideration – especially in the radicalized Republican Party of the Trump era. The GOP is appealing to grassroots voters and it’s important to earn the anger of the media to do that.

The border security bill which McCarthy had hoped to get approved early in the new Congress is currently in limbo after moderates voiced strong opposition to a draft drawn up by conservative lawmaker Chip Roy. The dispute underscores the fatal flaw in the GOP majority between right-wingers keen to appeal to the base and moderates who won seats in states like New York and California, where they could face difficult reelection bids in 2024.

CNN also reported this week on bitter splits between factions of the GOP on the question of more aid for Ukraine. McCarthy is in favor of supporting the Ukrainian government but is against giving it a blank check, which is something lawmakers like Gaetz and Greene don’t like. The speaker’s position is allowing him to avoid alienating either faction so far, but it will come under fierce pressure when massive requests for arms and ammunition for Ukraine arrive on Capitol Hill.

McCarthy also appears to be navigating into a perilous position on a looming showdown with Biden over the need to raise the government’s borrowing authority, or the debt ceiling, later this year. If the authority isn’t granted by Congress, the US will default on its debts, which will make American and global economies less competitive and cause credit ratings to be lowered. McCarthy is standing by the most radical members of his conference who are trying to get Biden to agree to their demands in order to lift the debt ceiling.

The California Republican may end up with a fateful choice between backing the lawmakers who elected him speaker and crashing the economy, since, if he tried to grant Biden such authority by using some Democratic votes, it’s possible he’d be toppled.

Bringing the Capitol Security to the Investigate: Michelle McCarthy’s January 6th-Focus-Reaction Against Russia and China

Some lawmakers are concerned that the press may be trying to downplay the unrest in the US Capitol, with others wondering how long the footage will take to be made public.

The speaker’s office is coordinating a process for how to release the footage more widely, beyond Fox News, while also ensuring that it does not violate any security concerns, as evidenced by the conversations that she has had with McCarthy.

CNN, along with a group of other media organizations, has signed on to a letter calling for congressional leaders to grant access to the security footage from the riot.

The Capitol Police work very well with us. We respected law enforcement, according to one of the people quoted by CNN. This is about openness.

But one of his closest allies – Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who also has downplayed the January 6 attack – backed his decision to give the footage to Carlson. She told CNN she played a role in McCarthy’s decision to turn the footage over to Carlson, but she wouldn’t go into further detail.

Everyone in Congress agrees that we should not give away our national security. I believe the American people agree. We don’t want Russia or China or any of these other countries being able to study all the entries and exits of our capital. That’s foolish.”

Greene told CNN that Carlson’s team was also given certain parameters for what they could and couldn’t air. They are being extremely careful and responsible.

The Florida congressman who urged the speaker to release the video did not say if that was a part of his pledge to help the California Republican.

“But I look forward to talking to him this week and further about figuring out an approach that makes sense and respects the security concerns that many members have articulated in the House,” Jeffries said of the speaker.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/27/politics/kevin-mccarthy-january-6-footage-reaction/index.html

Tucker Carlson, the Fox News face of the U.S. Capitol and the role of the Right-Right wing extremists in the 2020 election

Top Democrats are waiting to see what footage is ultimately released before taking position on whether the full media should also have access to it, a source familiar with the matter said.

The horrifying violence at the U.S. Capitol in the aftermath of the 2020 election is being whitewashed by the face of Fox News.

The footage was used by Tucker Carlson on Monday night to tell the story of people who broke into the U.S. Capitol as mostly peaceful, patriotic citizens who were upset with the system. The footage which Carlson aired was shown by people taking selfies and walking through the Capitol.

A version of the article appeared in the newsletter. A daily digest covering the evolving media landscape is available for sign up.

The idea of extreme ideas being confined to the fringes of the right-wing media was once considered extreme. But now it’s available every night at 8pm for millions to watch, courtesy of the highest-rated cable channel — and, more importantly, the Republican Party’s de-facto kingmaker.

Perhaps, McCarthy believes that playing ball with the Fox News extremist will curry favor with him and put an end to the brutal attacks Carlson has leveled at McCarthy over the last few years. And it appears to have worked for the moment, with Carlson on Monday night offering some praise for McCarthy.

The result of the speaker’s actions is likely to muddy the waters on a key and defining moment in American history, in the lead up to January 6th, when the Senate is expected to repeal the Patient Protection and Reform Act.