Politifact Systematically Dismantles Tucker Carlson’s Revisionist Docuseries on January 6th
Politifact took a deep dive into Fox Nation series Patriot Purge and tackled many of the false, conspiratorial, unsubstantiated claims Tucker Carlson continues to push about January 6th.
Carlson’s three-part Fox Nation series made waves in recent weeks thanks to its suggestion that the storming of the U.S. Capitol was a “false flag” operation, claim that the rioters are being politically persecuted, and that the political Left is using the events of January 6th as a pretext to hunt down conservatives. Politifact looked into his core claims, and they found that each was driven by circumstantial evidence, provocative imagery and political spin, more so than any tangible facts.
One of the Patriot Purge arguments Politifact rebuked was Carlson’s repeated claim that the riot was instigated by left-wing agitators, and the FBI “intentionally” set it up to trap supporters of former President Donald Trump. Politifact cited reports that countless members of the mob came from Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally that day, and proudly boasted of their participation in the riot. What’s more, court documents overwhelmingly show that alleged perpetrators of the riot are Trump supporters.
From Politifact:
There is no evidence that the FBI, or any government agency, orchestrated the attack or incited it. And there is no evidence that it was staged or a false flag, as Rainey suggested.
To advance these theories, Carlson relied on circumstantial evidence and speculation provided by the Revolver News editor, including the fact that an extremist plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was foiled by informants and undercover FBI operatives.
Carlson also relied on a misleading characterization of what led to the arrest of former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Mark Ibrahim, who brought a gun onto Capitol grounds. And he cited the work of journalist Trevor Aaronson, who reported on FBI stings targeting Muslims after 9/11. But Aaronson has strongly disputed Carlson’s claims about Jan. 6 and told PolitiFact that the FBI-plot theory is “absolutely ludicrous.”
Another angle Politifact tackled was Carlson’s sympathetic portrayal of the rioters, and his claims that they have been treated unjustly under the law. Carlson (once again) pushed the idea that Ashli Babbitt was killed despite posing not threat, ignoring the facts that she was part of a law-breaking mob that violently tried to break into a House chamber full of sheltering lawmakers in the hopes of overthrowing the 2020 election. Beyond Babbitt though, Politifact stood by their “false” verdicts for Carlson’s claims that “millions of Americans” are being unfairly deprived of their Constitutional rights because of the riot, and also that the arrested rioters are “political prisoners.”
Richard Barnett of Arkansas, who was indicted on seven counts, was spotlighted in Carlson’s film. “I’m absolutely a political prisoner,” he said. “What else could I be?”
But Barnett was not arrested for his politics. He was photographed inside Pelosi’s office with his feet on her desk and a stun gun in his pocket. He also stole a letter from Pelosi, confronted police and took a bullhorn to rile up rioters, prosecutors alleged in court documents. Carlson’s film claimed the stun gun was “inoperable” and used “as a walking stick,” but prosecutors rejected that as “pure fiction,” noting that he purchased it shortly before Jan. 6, “proudly discharged” it for a crowd the night before the riot, and hid it before his arrest. Barnett faces numerous charges, including aiding and abetting, entering and remaining in a restricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct with a deadly or dangerous weapon and theft of government property.
Politifact says Fox News declined to respond to their fact-checks of the special.
