‘Totally Innocent’: Trump Praises Tucker Carlson for Challenging Insurrection Narrative With Jan. 6 Footage

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the New Hampshire Republican State Committee's Annual Meeting in Salem, New Hampshire, on Jan. 28, 2023. Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Donald Trump heaped praise on Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson for releasing unseen footage from the Jan. 6 Capitol breach revealing that events which unfolded on the day were not as violent or part of an insurrection as portrayed by mainstream media.

The Jan. 6 committee investigating the breach as well as other lawmakers, including Republicans like former Rep. Liz Cheney, have been claiming that protestors were part of an insurrection campaign. Carlson pointed out that even though a few protestors inside the building were “hooligans” engaging in vandalism, many others were not. Some were even assisted by the police. One footage shows Jacob Chansley, also known as the “Qanon Shaman,” being calmly escorted by officers through the Capital. Trump praised Carlson for the exposé and for breaking the mainstream narrative.

“Congratulations to Tucker Carlson on one of the biggest ‘scoops’ as a reporter in U.S. history. The New Surveillance Footage of the January 6th Events sheds an entirely different light on what actually happened. The Unselect Committee was a giant SCAM, and has now unequivocally been stamped as CRIMINAL FABRICATORS OF THIS MOST IMPORTANT DAY,” Trump said in a March 7 Truth Social post.

“Pelosi & McConnell failed on security. The Police story is sad and difficult to watch. ‘Trump’ and most others are totally innocent, LET THEM GO FREE, NOW!”

In another post, Trump praised the “great courage” shown by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in releasing the surveillance footage to Carlson.

Officer Death

One clip revealed by Carlson concerns deceased Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. The New York Times had initially reported that Sicknick was beaten to death by a fire extinguisher during the breach—a claim the outlet retracted a month later.

However, Democrats like Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Vice President Kamala Harris, and President Joe Biden have continued to cite his death as proof of an insurrection at the Capitol.

According to Carlson, the new footage reveals that Sicknick was alive after the time when he was said to be allegedly killed by the protestors. The Jan. 6 committee members who had seen the footage are said to have refused to release it to the public.

The DC Medical Examiner’s office eventually cited natural causes as the reason behind Sicknick’s death—a conclusion accepted by the U.S. Capitol Police.

“Truth is beginning to be revealed. Thank you @SpeakerMcCarthy, @TuckerCarlson & company for showing America the rest of the Jan. 6 story. When will judges begin applying justice equally? Doesn’t look like ‘thousands of armed insurrectionists’ to me,” Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said in a March 7 tweet.

In June 2021, Johnson wrote a letter to the acting chief of U.S. Capitol Police Yogananda Pittman, requesting information regarding unauthorized access to the Capitol via the upper west terrace doors on Jan. 6.

Criticism and Support For Footage Release

Democrats have attacked McCarthy’s decision to hand over Jan. 6 footage to Carlson. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a former member of the Jan. 6 committee, called Carlson a “right-wing propagandist” who spreads “the Big Lie.”

McCarthy insists that the footage release is in the public’s interest as the American people have a right to know the truth of events that took place on Jan. 6.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) thanked McCarthy for releasing the footage. “J6 video tapes will also be available for all J6 defendants. All 42,000+ hours. Thank you Speaker McCarthy,” she said in a Feb. 20 tweet.

“For two years, the Department of Justice has selectively leaked footage to shape their preferred narratives. And for two years, Democrats in Congress worked to ‘establish’ their own narrative,” Jan. 6 defendant William Pope told The Epoch Times in February.