Tucker Carlson’s Jan. 6 video doesn’t exonerate the rioters
Christopher Tremoglie
Video Embed
The video Tucker Carlson released last week of Jake Angeli, also known as Jacob Chansley or the “QAnon Shaman,” caused quite a controversy last week. It revealed an entirely different series of events than what the Jan. 6 Committee shared with the public. Many think the committee purposely hid this footage. And, from a legal standpoint, there could be ramifications if accusations are true that the committee didn’t provide the lawyers of those arrested with all the available video for trial preparation. But we must also understand that Carlson’s video doesn’t exonerate the rioters who broke the law.
For example, consider this tweet by Juanita Broaddrick, one of the women who claimed Bill Clinton raped her while he was Arkansas’s attorney general. On Sunday, Broaddrick tweeted an image with the silhouette of a person by the Capitol with the words “Bring our J6ers home” encircled around it. It’s this kind of messaging that is wrong. People who break the law must be held accountable, regardless of which political ideology motivated their actions.
BIDEN’S CLIMATE-OBSESSED BUDGET IS WRONG FOR THE COUNTRY
It would seem this would be a logical assertion, but chatter on numerous talk shows, and especially social media, seemed to imply, if not outright suggest, the Jan. 6 “prisoners” should be released or excused as a result of Carlson’s video. However, that’s just not true. Just as everyone who looted and assaulted people during the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020 should be held accountable for their actions, so should the people who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Justice just can’t be one way.
Now some have argued that the criminals and agitators from the 2020 BLM riots were treated less harshly than those on Jan. 6. If true, this needs to be addressed. Such an occurrence would undoubtedly be wrong, and the outrage would be justified. However, no one should be suggesting otherwise because they were just as bad, if not arguably worse, than those from Jan. 6. And if this is true, then it should be investigated, and those who allowed it should suffer the consequences. However, that is an entirely different conversation than claiming the people arrested because of their participation on Jan. 6 should be acquitted, forgiven, or completely let off the hook.
Conservatives and Republicans can’t claim they are the people who favor law and order and support the police but then don’t think those who broke into the Capitol and rioted should face any repercussions. The Democrats selectively editing videos and releasing them to the public does warrant anger and outrage. And it certainly raises many credibility problems regarding the Jan. 6 Committee. But none of this changes the fact that rioters illegally entered a federal building and caused harm to many police officers.
Rioting, looting, causing destruction, and assaulting police officers are wrong. This doesn’t change because of political allegiances. And while it doesn’t justify any wrongdoing by the Jan. 6 Committee, which appeared to use the footage as propaganda to create a particular narrative, no one should think Carlson’s video somehow makes those who broke the law on Jan. 6 innocent. There is right, and there is wrong, and we must always remember this.