Schumer rips Tucker Carlson for ‘lie’ about Jan 6 rioters being peaceful

Fallout continues over McCarthy decision to supply Jan 6 footage to Tucker Carlson

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted the conservative right for its continued effort to whitewash the deadly attack on the US Capitol on Tuesday during a speech from the floor of the upper chamber.

Mr Schumer became the latest voice to criticise House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s decision to supply Fox News disinformation artist Tucker Carlson with hours of footage from the riot at the Capitol so Carlson’s producers could splice together videos where violence is not explicitly shown onscreen in order to falsely portray the attack as a peaceful protest. The effort to minimise Jan 6 has been as almost as long-running of a campaign for Carlson as has his effort to sow distrust in the results of the 2020 election, which he continues to do as well.

Calling Monday night’s episode “one of the most shameful hours of television” in recent memory, the Senate leader attacked Mr Carlson for his dishonest assertion that the attack on the Capitol, which left a number of police officers seriously injured and led to deaths of others as hundreds breached the US Capitol illegally and fought hand-to-hand combat with police.

“To say January 6th was not violent is a lie, a lie pure and simple,” Mr Schumer said.

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