Carlson often takes controversial positions. For example, he has long argued that other media outlets exaggerated the violence when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in January 2021. The Fox News anchor was also discredited at the time for suggesting, unencumbered by any evidence that government agents had instigated the riots.
“The storming of the Capitol was peaceful chaos”
Spectators
In Monday’s broadcast, Carlson said the footage showed that while a minority of the protesters were committing violence, most were “bystanders”. Both Democrats and senior Republicans, the Capitol Police Chief and the family of a slain police officer criticized the emcee’s actions. According to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, it was “a mistake by Fox News to portray this in a way that completely contradicts what our top law enforcement officer here on Capitol Hill thinks” about the unrest.
“Fox’s Mistake of Representing It That Way”
McConnell referred to Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger who said in a memo that the broadcast was “full of abusive and misleading conclusions about the January 6 attack.” According to Manger, Fox News “for convenience” selected the quietest moments from the 41,000 hours of video available to police.
Shaman
The Fox host showed footage of the “QAnon Shaman,” the horned, shirtless, spear-clad man who has become one of the most recognizable figures of the storm. The video shows the shaman (Jacob Chansley, ed) wandering around the Capitol, followed by police officers who do not try to stop or arrest him. According to Carlson, this is evidence that the police acted as Chansley’s “tour guide”.
‘Transmission full of offensive and misleading conclusions’
Manger calls the allegation “outrageous and false.” “Those officers did their best to use de-escalation tactics to try to get the rioters to leave the building,” the memo said.
According to the justice, about 140 police officers were attacked that day, so far about 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with the assault, more than 300 people have been charged with assaulting, resisting or obstructing officials or employees. More than 100 of these were accused of using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily harm to a police officer.
Furious
On air, Carlson also made comments about police officer Brian Sicknick who collapsed during the siege and died the next day. Fox News showed footage of Sicknick continuing to work on the Capitol after being sprayed with pepper spray. “What happened to Brian Sicknick clearly has nothing to do with the violence he experienced outside the Capitol,” Carlson said. Sicknick’s family said he was “furious”.