Mike Johnson Spokesman Walks Back Claim He’s Protecting Jan. 6 Rioters From Justice Department By Blurring Faces

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File

On Tuesday, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) discussed the release of footage from the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, claiming that his staffers had to “blur some of the faces” of rioters. The controversial comments, which gave the appearance that Johnson planned to provide cover for insurrectionists, were walked back the same day by the Speaker’s spokesperson Raj Shah.

Johnson spoke about his plans on Tuesday, first saying that “we don’t want them to be retaliated against and to be charged by the [Department of Justice], and to have other concerns and problems.” But later on Tuesday, Shah clarified on Twitter/X that the intent was to prevent retaliation by “non-governmental actors,” adding that the DOJ “already has access to raw footage from January 6, 2021”:

“Faces are to be blurred from public viewing room footage to prevent all forms of retaliation against private citizens from any non-governmental actors. The Department of Justice already has access to raw footage from January 6, 2021.” – Raj Shah, Deputy COS for Communications

— Raj Shah (@RajShahDC) December 5, 2023

Figures on the far-right praised Johnson for the move, including former President Donald Trump, saying that the over 44,000 hours of footage would prove that the fatal riot at the Capitol was nothing but a peaceful protest. Seven people died in connection to the events of January 6, 2021 and several law enforcement officers were injured or attacked by attendees.

Johnson, who was the vice chair of the Republican caucus in 2020, led the effort to overturn the election results in four states that President Joe Biden won, a tactic to delay the electoral votes in those states. On the even of January 6, 2021, Johnson was the one delving into last-minute ways to upend the certification of Biden’s presidency; The New York Times referred to Johnson as “the most important architect of the Electoral College objections.”

Just one of the many reasons why Johnson’s comments about seemingly protecting the insurrectionists outside the Capitol raised eyebrows.