House and Senate Democrats also have the power to access the Capitol’s 1/6 security footage, so they can kill Kevin McCarthy and Tucker Carlson’s propaganda effort by giving credible news organizations access to the footage.
Greg Sargent of The Washington Post wrote:
If they so choose, Democrats can access all the footage now. After McCarthy granted access to Carlson, the Capitol Police explained that they are required to release it to congressional leaders or oversight committees that demand it.
It turns out this applies to minority leaders, too. Investigators on the Jan. 6 committee, of course, were permitted to view the footage (only a fraction aired in hearings) while Democrats were in the majority. But a Capitol Police spokesperson confirms that Democrats can access it in a GOP-controlled House.
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Democrats could make the footage available to broadcast networks and blow Tucker Carlson and Kevin McCarthy out of the water. Carlson averages 3 million viewers a night on Fox News. A Friday night episode of Dateline on NBC averages almost the same number of viewers on a night when fewer people are watching television.
A primetime special on a broadcast network featuring the 1/6 Capitol footage could draw double or even triple the ratings of Carlson.
Democrats can’t stop Kevin McCarthy from giving the footage to Tucker Carlson, but they can invite legitimate news organizations that reach more Americans than Fox News to do their own specials that will deliver the facts and flood out McCarthy and Carlson’s propaganda.
The fatal flaw of the GOP’s 1/6 propaganda scheme is the limited reach of Tucker Carlson and Fox News.
While there are legitimate concerns about jeopardizing Capitol security, legitimate journalists can counter the propaganda while not risking the security of the Capitol.
Kevin McCarthy and Tucker Carlson’s plan doesn’t work without exclusivity. Democrats need to take away Carlson’s exclusive access to the footage to negate a threat to national security.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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