Tucker Carlson Airs Newly Released Capitol Security Footage, Raising Questions About Public Accessibility and Downplaying the Severity of the Attack.

On Monday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired newly released footage from the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack on his show. The footage included images of the rioter known as the “QAnon Shaman” and of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died following the attack. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) granted Carlson access to more than 40,000 hours of the Capitol security footage from January 6.

Carlson used the footage to falsely claim on his show that no riot happened on Jan. 6. He cherry-picked several minutes of Donald Trump’s supporters calmly walking through the Capitol and said, “Taken as a whole, the video record does not support the claim that Jan. 6 was an insurrection.”

Capitol Police have continuously warned that release of all security footage from the Capitol could pose a potential security risk for the building. McCarthy’s office said it is still working out the process to make the footage “more widely available” but did not comment further.

The footage aired by Carlson on Monday has been met with criticism from many who believe it is an attempt to downplay the severity of the attack on the Capitol. The attack left five people dead, including Officer Sicknick, and resulted in more than 300 arrests.

CNN has reached out to Capitol Police for comment on the release of the footage but has not yet received a response. It is unclear if the footage will be released to the public or if it will remain in the hands of Carlson and McCarthy.