ANALYSIS – Tucker Carlson’s misguided attempt to use cherry-picked moments of the newly released video of Jan. 6 to argue that nothing bad happened at the Capitol that day, is horribly timed and very dumb.
As I wrote the day after I personally observed events at the Capitol that day, January 6 was neither a deadly coup, insurrection nor peaceful guided tours of the Capitol.
It was a mixture of some of those things, none of those things, and everything in between.
And Tucker would have been far more effective, and credible had he used the video to show that the Left’s Jan. 6 narrative was incomplete, distorted, and totally one-sided, rather than trying to say it was totally false.
Because the truth is that Jan 6 was like the story of the blind men and the elephant, each one grasping one part of the animal, like the leg, tail, or trunk, and describing the giant beast as something totally different.
On Jan. 6 what began as a massive peaceful rally of tens of thousands of pro-Trump protesters, soon degraded when smaller elements (a few hundred) of the much larger peaceful crowd broke off and did conduct a violent attack on parts of the Capitol.
Hundreds more just stupidly followed the initial ‘attack mob’ inside.
In the first group, some had military training, used stack formations, and were very organized and intent on forcefully breaching the building.
While none were found with, or used firearms, during the riot, there was violence with sticks, flagpoles, and pepper spray.
I called these violent rioters, thugs, and criminals.
They were similar to the violent BLM rioters who had violently attacked police at the White House in the summer of 2020 or besieged the Portland Federal Courthouse for months.
On Jan. 6 police officers were similarly attacked and beaten, and the Capitol was ultimately breached unlawfully.
Inside, one non-violent protester, Ashley Babbitt, an Air Force security forces veteran, was shot by a Capitol Police Officer. Likely, unjustly.
She was the only person killed during the riot.
All this occurred in the span of just a few hours.
But the Capitol complex is massive, and what was happening violently on one end was not being replicated at other parts of the Capitol.
As much of the Tucker video showed truthfully, in many places and entrances, Capitol Police had allowed protesters inside, in some cases escorted them around.
In other cases, the police simply stood by as the ‘tourist’ protesters milled around and took selfies or acted stupidly.
Still, ever since then, there has been a profound narrative battle pitting those fanatics on the right who said nothing at all happened and the fanatics on the left who claim Jan. 6 was worse than Pearl Harbor or 9/11, and an insurrection that risked the essence of American democracy.
Sadly, neither side is correct, but only the most extreme one-sided ‘insurrection’ narrative was put forward by the left and last Congress’ Democratic-run Jan. 6 committee, and repeated daily by the partisan, anti-Trump media.
The insurrection narrative was pushed by cherry-picked videos and photos of the same short-lived Capitol violence from different views and angles, repeated in a nearly constant loop for the most distorted and dramatic effect possible.
But now Tucker has done the same.
Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger wrote in an internal message to officers that Carlson’s Monday night primetime program “conveniently cherry-picked from the calmer moments of our 41,000 hours of video” to incorrectly portray the violent assault as more akin to a peaceful protest. He added that Carlson’s “commentary fails to provide context about the chaos and violence that happened before or during these less tense moments.”
And many Republican leaders agreed.
The timing is also horrible.
As Politico reported:
“It’s definitely stupid to keep talking about this … So what is the purpose of continuing to bring it up unless you’re trying to feed Democrat narratives even further?” Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) said in an interview, noting the videos didn’t show “anything we don’t already know.”
“I don’t really have a problem with making it all public. But if your message is then to try and convince people that nothing bad happened, then it’s just gonna make us look silly.”
So how should we view the events of the January 6 riot accurately and fairly?
Probably the best description was provided by Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) when he said he has “a hard time with all of it.”
He added that Jan. 6 “was not a peaceful protest. It was not an insurrection. It was a riot that should have never happened. And a lot of people share the blame for that. The truth is always messier than any narrative.”
Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.
What Tucker Carlson has shown us is that those arrested were denied justice as they did not do what has been alleged. Why were the videos not given to their lawyers by prosecutors? Why are so many being held without representation, court dates and humanitarian treatment? Their actions were not an insurrection, but a riot. Why are their actions deemed so much worse than the DC riots in 2020 when more police, national guard troops and secret service men and women were injured, a church burned and a sitting president taken to a bunker for safety? There were no investigations of the 2020 rioters leading to early morning invasions of their homes, detention in a jail where they were mistreated and kept without due process of law and verdicts of longer prison sentences. The truth is important!
It is crystal clear that you are the one speaking partial truths, not Tucker. Mr. Carlson NEVER said EVERYONE at the capitol was peaceful and well behaved, I believe he clearly stated that MOST of those at the capitol were peaceful- acting like tourists but that there were hooligans committing violent acts. We also know that a number of those leading and egging on the violence were FBI and other plants. Clearly, the objective of the FBI plants was to CAUSE, not PREVENT violence, probably at the direction of Nancy Pelosi! You have damaged your credibility in an effort to garner praise from those who want to diminish Mr. Carlson.
I notice the author of this article does not bother referencing the fact that in testimony given by the former Chief of the Capitol Police he said that intelligence reports concluded there were BLM activists dressed as Trump supporters who were there to agitate along with Epps. The author does not bother researching. What an a-hole!
Your articles seem to be more and m ore left leaning and don’t address strategic issues germane to the subject. I.e. Antifa infiltrated the Capitol dressed in MAGA…..and you don’t even mention it. I am unsubscribing.
Tucker is showing what the dems has not shown. The whole thing was set up by the dems. They bussed in Antifa and blm to cause the chaos. The whole truth will never be brought to light. Tucker never said it was a peaceful protest. This artical is another media lie.
Carlson made a point of acknowledging the riotous vandalism of the initial wave of rioters who climbed walls and broke windows and doors to gain access into the Capitol, he almost always prefaced his remarks that say. It’s false to say he cherry picked 40,000 hours of tape to come up with a few frames of people peacefully wandering in the rotunda and halls of the Capitol. He did, however, show enough to call into question the Democrats’ story about an insurrection and to put to bed the lie that rioters with guns killed 5 policemen. Only one person died on Jan 6th, likely murdered by a trigger happy Capitol Police Lieutenant in plain clothes, she was one of the rioters. He also absolutely made the case that at least one, if not all of the people in jail for Jan 6th “offenses” have had their constitutional right trampled. The one Carlson focused on was deprived of access to video evidence showing him ambling about the Capitol peacefully, escorted by Capitol Police opening doors for him, while he stopped to smrecirtd a prayer for them. He was denied exculpatory evidence of the charges against him. Every American should be concerned or disturbed by this illegal, totalitarian display of lawlessness by our DIJ and the Democrats who conceived of thuu I d political okay, all to destroy Trump. They have succeeded only in destroying the lives of American citizens and the rule of law.
Just another libtard trying to twist the facts to validate his warped mindset. He must have drunk the entire bucket of cool-aid at once…
Regardless those on the left & right who minimize the value of what Carlson showed, he did expose the Jan 6 committee as a lying bunch of trash who will do anything to discredit President Trump and all those who voted for him. Thye can crawl back under the rock from whence they came, the scum bags.
This article is a prime example of biased one sided reporting of half truths. Very little intelligence needed to put together the whole picture. First the police were alerted that a large faction of BLM THUGS DRESSED IN PRO Trump gear were Bussing in from Baltimore. They were met up by members of ANTIFA dressed alike to blend in with pro Trump attendees of Trumps speech. Mix that with FBI agitator Ray Epps trying to get people to rush the capital who was called out as a fed. The true Trumpers weren’t falling for his crap. With that in place the barriers were opened by police and people waved through. The BLM, ANTIFA thugs began raising he’ll and put on a show for Pelosis cameramen showing attacks on officers, breaking windows when there were open doors and police allowing the real Trump supporters inside who walked around. The thugs once inside tried to breech a door causing the death of an unarmed woman.
But your biased BS NEVER PUT ALL THE FACTS TOGETHER. But then again that wouldn’t support your agenda.
All I can say is that Paul is one of those leftest, biased reporters. I wrote for newspapers for 40 years, and this type of one-sided reporting would never have made it into print. This is what the leftest do. They want to skew the facts. Sorry, not buying it Paul.
Tucker Carlson is doing a great job exposing the truth about J6 and this author can’t take it.
Shouldn’t be so quick to conclusions. There’s a lot more coming out. According to recent reports, Jacob Chansley and others were videoed yelling at people that “rioters” were ANTIFA and to follow President Trump’s directions and leave the capitol peacefully. There is Ray Epps; clearly inciting people to storm the capitol, yet he hasn’t been arrested or even charged! There are probably a lot more that have and will be identified from videos. When I saw the initial videos it was clear that the people present in the capitol didn’t break in nor were they doing any damage. Doors were open, not broken down. The velvet ropes used to keep visitors in line remained in place. The stanchions could have been used as handy weapons but certainly weren’t. Yes there were a few yahoos but certainly nothing close to descriptions in the press. Will the truth ever come out? I suspect it will eventually. However, those who believe this was the greatest attack on the capital since the War of 1812 will never agree it was anything less than a full blown insurrection initiated and fueled by President Trump and right wing extremists.
Crespo is hilarious. Is he suggesting that everybody else uses just random segments of the video feeds? Or do they, maybe, “cherry pick” what sections of the video they think are best to prove their point (or support their narrative)?
The author writes like a fence sitter not wanting to upset leftist colleagues and editors.
After reading this article by Mr. Crespo I wish now I hadn’t!
The comments speak for themselves. The author of this piece is writing for the wrong organisation.
There is no length to which “journalists” and LEFT WING HACKS, like Paul Crespo, will go to DENY the FACTS that the predominance of participants in the Jan 6 PROTEST were PEACEFUL. They fail to acknowledge that the FBI was imminently INVOLVED in ENCOURAGING RIOTOUS BEHAVIOR, then the DOJ HID ANY and ALL EXCULPATORY EVIDENCE that MADE CLEAR the VAST MAJORITY of those ARRESTED and HELD PRISONER without charges for over ONE YEAR, WERE INNOCENT of the CHARGES finally levied and CONVICTED THEM!
Well the article is labeled “opinion”. I didn’t realize when I started getting these emails that GAND leaned left. Guess I know now to send it straight to the junk folder. What a totally misguided bunch of garbage this article is. Many have already said what I was going to say. Crespo, you’re a loser.
No the videos are J6 Tucker explains the videos
Its NOT his made up storyline
This are just copies of my posts more than a year ago, long before the tapes were released to Tucker Carlson:
Having experience in 30 years of living in communist country, all what happen Jan.6 and more what follows under Pelosi and her so called “investigation” has many give outs and copy cats. Nobody will persuade myself, that all what happen was long prepared and plan by Democrats and for their money with initiation of fascist group Antifa. You can dig that for yourself. The reason for all that Democratic circus is to get to president Trump. On anything they can think of. In past 5 years they have nothing. They will try anything. Same as communist countries, and if nothing works it goes to kangaroo court with paid up witnesses. It already happen with their bogus impeachment as well as election fraud.
Welcome to communism. Not only with the Nazi in the Reichstag’s fire, but that how it started with every communist country. Opposition party become enemy of state, leaders are hanged (including some opposing in the own party) and rest lock up in labour camps, usually between 10-20 years. In the country of 10 mil. on average abut 400.000 to labour camps and around 300 death sentences. They did not have 2nd amendment.
Jan. 2022
Having experience how communist’s used and organized demonstrations using secret police agents to their needs, to make looking the demonstration as upheaval against the state and government, It is clear to me, that Jan. 6 was prepared long time ago by Democrats and their co-op with FBI with the only goal, to impeach and prevent president Trump to be elected as the next president. Behaviour of the mob is different of the behaviour of any individual in that mob. It was necessary for them to turn peaceful demonstration to violent. Fortunately, they failed, as seen on few movie clips. There were not any weapons of any kind. Only idiots would try to take over the government with empty hands. The reason as well, why hundreds of tapes are not being released, why some people in the crowd are disappearing from investigation (including the only murder of the peaceful demonstrator) and why people which, were not in any danger are kept in jail. I hope that will cost some day millions in compensations. The Democratic majority in Congress is even trying for unconstitutional kangaroo Democratic Committee to call people, which were not even in Washington, but they had contacts with president Trump. That is good give away.
Jan.2022:You must be familiar, how demonstrations with the purpose are organized. Thanks to my knowledge, how communist used to infiltrate and direct demonstrations to be used for their goal. Exactly same happen on Jan.6. That was long time in planning by Democrats and organized with using police, and FBI agents to provoke and direct upheaval to use it with only one aim. To impeach former president Trump with false accusations and manufactured lies. As we say Gods mills are grinding slow, but they do not stop. There will be a day, when Pelosi, Schumer, Schiff, Biden and all the rest of the Democratic party traitors, including media honchos will get between the grinding stones. Truth will always get one day out.