Speaker Johnson says he’ll make 44,000 hours of Jan. 6 footage available to the general public

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House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Friday his intention to publicly release a vast collection of over 44,000 hours of footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. This move honors a commitment he made to the far-right faction of his party during his campaign for the speaker’s position.

Johnson’s statement highlighted his aim to give millions of Americans, legal defendants, organizations with public interests, and media outlets direct access to the events of that day. This initiative seeks to provide an unfiltered perspective, in contrast to interpretations offered by a limited group of government officials.

The initial release will include about 90 hours of security footage on a public committee website, with plans to gradually release the remaining footage over the coming months. Additionally, a public viewing area will be established in the Capitol for onsite footage review.

The footage, previously available by appointment to a select group of individuals including media and defendants, offers a detailed view of the chaos and violence that ensued as supporters of then-President Donald Trump breached the Capitol. This expansion of access to the public is part of Johnson’s fulfillment of promises made to conservative party members like Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and former President Trump, who is currently facing reelection challenges and federal charges related to the Jan. 6 incident. Trump praised Johnson’s decision on his social media platform.

Despite Johnson’s assurances of editing the footage to protect individual identities and withholding 5% of it due to security concerns, critics worry about the potential risks this wide access poses to the safety of Capitol staff and members.

This release follows a controversial decision by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in February to grant exclusive access to the footage to then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Carlson’s subsequent broadcast aimed to reshape public perception of the event, contradicting the violent scenes widely documented by news agencies and the House Jan. 6 committee’s findings. The committee’s final report accused Trump of a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and his failure to prevent the Capitol attack.

This release of footage is part of a broader Republican effort to reframe the narrative surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection, which was intensely scrutinized by a select House committee comprising mostly Democrats and two Republicans. The committee recommended the Justice Department investigate Trump on multiple charges, including inciting an insurrection. In August, Trump faced indictment on four felony counts related to his role in the attack.

Journalist Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report for Big Big News.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Jan. 6 Capitol Footage Release

More about Jan. 6 Capitol Footage Release

• House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Announcement
• Jan. 6 Capitol Attack Footage Release
• Security Concerns Over Footage Release
• Former President Trump’s Reaction
• Protective Measures for Released Footage