Manuel Oliver, the father of a Parkland shooting victim, was arrested on Capitol Hill while protesting gun violence during a House subcommittee hearing. Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) compared Oliver to the Capitol rioters, sparking outrage among gun control advocates who argue that Oliver's actions were a peaceful protest. The incident has highlighted the need for stricter gun control legislation to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Posts tagged as “the Capitol Police”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with Micki Witthoeft, the mother of Ashli Babbitt who was killed during the Jan. 6 riots, to discuss McCarthy's previous comments about Babbitt's death. Witthoeft has been organizing nightly protests outside the D.C. jail since Aug. 1, and estimates that 5,000-8,000 people have been live streaming the protests. After the meeting, Witthoeft said it went well and she was expecting good things to come from it.
This filing from the Capitol Police's general counsel Thomas DiBiase reveals that only one of the more than 40 clips aired by Fox News' Tucker Carlson was approved beforehand. The filing also states that the Capitol Police had not been informed that the surveillance video would be passed on to Carlson, and that House Republicans had ignored requests from the Capitol Police to review and approve any Jan. 6 security footage that would be made public. This highlights the need for transparency and accountability when it comes to the media's access to sensitive information.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy addressed the controversy surrounding Fox News host Tucker Carlson's coverage of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. McConnell expressed his support for the letter sent by Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger denouncing Carlson, while McCarthy defended his decision to give Carlson surveillance footage from the Capitol. Both McConnell and McCarthy have expressed their support for Carlson's right to free speech.
Senate Republicans have pushed back against Fox News' portrayal of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol as "mostly peaceful," with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell holding up a letter from the head of the Capitol Police to demonstrate that the security footage shown on the show "Tucker Carlson Tonight" was selectively chosen and did not accurately reflect the violence that occurred. Other Senate Republicans have also argued that the attack was a serious threat to the safety of those in the Capitol and that it should not be downplayed.
US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger has criticized Fox News host Tucker Carlson for his commentary about the January 6th insurrection, noting that it was misleading and offensive. The family of Officer Brian Sicknick, who died in the attack, also rebuked Fox News and Carlson, accusing them of cherry-picking footage to support their views. Manger concluded his memo by affirming the Capitol Police Department's commitment to protecting the Capitol and its occupants.
On Monday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired newly released footage from the January 6, 2021 US Capitol attack on his show. Carlson used the footage to falsely claim that no riot happened on Jan. 6, despite the attack leaving five people dead and resulting in more than 300 arrests. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) granted Carlson access to the footage, and Capitol Police have warned that its release could pose a security risk. It is unclear if the footage will be released to the public or remain in the hands of Carlson and McCarthy.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has expressed doubt over House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) statement that footage from the Jan. 6 Capitol riots will be screened by the Capitol Police before being released to the public, questioning whether the police have done so yet. Jeffries said that any material footage must be vetted before it is released into the public domain, and McCarthy's office has not yet responded to his comments. It is unclear when the Capitol Police will finish screening the footage or when it will be released.