House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, have decided to make public most of the security footage from the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, shedding light on the potential for an inside job.
The decision was announced on Friday, with roughly 90 hours of footage already posted on the House Administration Committee’s website by the afternoon.
Johnson emphasized the importance of truth and transparency in his statement, declaring, “Today, we will begin immediately posting video on a public website and move as quickly as possible to add to the website nearly all of the footage, more than 40,000 hours.”
The move allows members of the public to set up in-person appointments starting Monday to view Capitol Police security footage in designated rooms within the Capitol complex.
The release, however, has triggered a wave of reactions, with terms like “Treason”, “Resign”, “Nancy Pelosi”, and “Liz Cheney” trending on social media platforms.
Many netizens speculate that former Speaker of the House Pelosi could be the “mastermind” behind the J6 insurrection, and they are now calling for her arrest. This includes Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, both Republican representatives who sided with the Democrats against former President Donald Trump and his supporters.
Criticism and speculation surged on X, with users expressing their opinions on the revelations.
“These Useless Fuks knew it was all fabricated and spent millions upon millions of taxpayer dollars investigating NOTHING! They should be in jail for treason,” commented an X user named Lanky Lopez on the X platform.
The House Administration Committee assumed stewardship of the security footage at the beginning of the 118th Congress, becoming a source of partisan tension.
Democrats accused their Republican counterparts of attempting to whitewash the events of January 6, when pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of election results.
However, this assertion was debunked as several Senate and congressional investigations revealed the existence of potential “fed” or “federal agents” or “informants” who infiltrated the event to implicate the then Trump administration.
The release comes nearly three years after the riot, with over 1,069 defendants charged for their involvement, raising concerns that some may be innocent and framed by the J6 committee and federal authorities.
The controversy surrounding the footage escalated in February when former Speaker Kevin McCarthy granted Fox News host Tucker Carlson access to most of the videos, drawing criticism from Democrats and the media.
Republicans, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, have long advocated for the footage’s public release.
Greene stated, “We need to release the J6 tapes to a public online source so that everyone knows what did and didn’t happen, we need to restore fair justice, and America can move on.”
While the move is seen as a step towards transparency by some Republicans, Democrats raised concerns about the safety implications of publicizing the footage.
Capitol Police declined to comment on the matter.
Barry Loudermilk, a member of the House Administration Committee, expressed the committee’s commitment to transparency. “The goal of our investigation has been to provide the American people with transparency on what happened at the Capitol on January 6, 2021,” he stated.
Elected as Speaker in late October following McCarthy’s ousting, Johnson affirmed in his statement that he is fulfilling a commitment to make the security tapes publicly accessible.
Trump expressed approval, posting on Truth Social, “Congratulations to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson for having the Courage and Fortitude to release all of the J6 Tapes, which will explicitly reveal what really happened on January 6th!”
Numerous American internet users are urging an investigation into the J6 committee, alleging the withholding of evidence leading to the unjust incarceration of innocent individuals.
Liberal-centrist podcaster and entrepreneur Tim Pool asserted on X, “The release proves the cops allowed, aided, and even participated in J6.”
Dom Lucre echoed this sentiment, commenting, “The recent release of the J6 videos by Speaker Johnson appears to be proving the insurrection was an inside job.”
White House correspondent Simon Ateba expressed skepticism, posting, “Still trying to see the violence inside the Capitol Building. Still looking hard.”
The Daily Netizen 