Stefanik weighs in on Fox News’ portrayal of January 6 security footage

WASHINGTON (WWNY) - North country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is weighing in after a Fox News host portrayed the January 6, 2021 attack on Capitol Hill as a peaceful gathering.

Fox’s Tucker Carlson showed security footage that was given exclusively to Fox News by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Carlson showed selectively-edited clips, downplaying the violence which injured dozens of Capitol police officers; some officers died in the days following the events.

Carlson denounced the Jan. 6 committee led by Democrats in the past Congress.

After the segment aired, Stefanik tweeted: “Tucker Carlson confirmed what I’ve been saying for well over a year. Nancy Pelosi’s sham, unconstitutional Jan 6th Committee was nothing more than a political witch-hunt designed to punish the radical Far Left’s political opponents.”

In a second tweet, she wrote: “The Democrats’ dishonest narrative is being demolished. The January 6th Committee was nothing more than a scam, with the sole purpose of smearing President Trump and his supporters.”

Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger wrote an internal memo to his department, calling Carlson’s broadcast offensive and misleading and that it failed to provide context about the chaos and violence.

Mitch McConnell, the senate’s top Republican, held the memo up at a news conference and agreed with the police chief.

“Clearly the chief of the Capitol police, in my view, correctly describes what most of us witnessed firsthand,” said McConnell.

Stefanik is the 4th ranking member of the GOP in the House and north country representative for the 21st Congressional District.

Copyright 2023 WWNY. All rights reserved.