Johnson publicly releases video of Capitol Hill incident

 Direct translation

Johnson publicly releases video of Capitol Hill incident, Trump praises his courage

 Reporter : Li Zhaoxi / Editor: Lin Qing / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/11/18/a103827311.html / Image : Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Johnson. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson announced on Friday (17 November 2023) that all surveillance videos related to the Capitol incident on January 6 will "immediately" be provided to the public for over 40,000 hours.

"When I ran for Speaker, I promised to make available to the American people the 44,000 hours of video captured by Capitol Hill security on January 6, 2021," Mike Johnson said in a statement. "Truth and transparency are essential. Important. Today, we will immediately begin publishing the video on a public website."

The first batch of videos (approximately 90 hours) was released via the Committee on House Administration (CHA) on November 17, with additional videos to be released over the coming months.

"This decision will allow millions of Americans, criminal defendants, public interest organizations and the media to see firsthand what happened that day, rather than being limited to the interpretations of a small group of government officials," Johnson said.

He stressed that the faces of ordinary citizens would be blurred to "avoid anyone becoming a target of retaliation," adding that about 5% of the footage would be edited due to the presence of sensitive security information "related to the building structure."

In addition, the public can also choose to watch the video in person in the subcommittee office, and reservations will be available starting from the 20th.

CHA reminds that members of Congress, defendants charged with crimes committed on January 6, and their attorneys, as well as individuals who were personally harmed at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and their attorneys will receive priority viewing, followed by U.S. news media, non-profit organizations, to the general public.

Those viewing the footage in person are not allowed to bring cellphones, cameras or recording devices, and there are time limits. Access to certain video clips will be determined by the committee.

The release comes after House Republicans spent months pushing for the release of footage of the Jan. 6 incident, particularly by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who pushed for the release of the video during January's speakership election. It was used as a condition of negotiation with former House Speaker McCarthy. McCarthy agreed to release the footage in exchange for Gates' support.

But McCarthy ultimately resisted calls to release the entire video, instead making it available only to some, such as members of the media, including Carlson, legal defendants and certain groups, and for viewing only inside the Capitol. McCarthy was subsequently removed as Speaker of the House.

On the same day, former President Trump praised Johnson’s “courage and courage” on Truth Social, saying that releasing the video would “clearly reveal what really happened on January 6th!”

In early November, Trump called those jailed in connection with the events of January 6 "hostages." "I call them J6 hostages, not prisoners. I call them hostages, what the heck, it's a disgrace," Trump said at a campaign event in Houston.

Trump also said he would consider pardoning some people convicted of the January 6 incident. Earlier this year, he also released the song "Justice for All" written by him and the J6 prison choir.

The incident on January 6 is also at the core of federal criminal charges alleging that Trump allegedly attempted to subvert the results of the 2020 election. The trial is scheduled to begin on 4 March 2024.