If you’re ever having trouble locating Tucker Carlson, just check the wrong side of any argument and there he’ll be—pontificating in that puffed-up, I-know-I’m-right-and-that’s-all-that-matters way that (thankfully) only he can. The Fox News host’s latest bad take? That the Capitol Police have no business sending a letter to the United States Congress expressing their desire to see an official investigation into the deadly insurrection of January 6th, in which one of their own officers was among the six people killed. Carlson kicked off his Thursday night program talking about this letter, which he for some reason deemed “mysterious,” then compared to a ransom note:
A mysterious letter appeared on Capitol Hill this week. It was addressed to every member of the United States Congress. The letter arrived on the official letterhead of the U.S. Capitol Police. But it wasn’t from the chief, or from any individual officer.
Instead, the letter was signed: ‘Proud Members of the United States Capitol Police.’ So, it was anonymous. That was the first tip this wasn’t your average security bulletin. And in fact it wasn’t. It was instead a political demand. The letter instructed members of Congress to vote ‘yes’ to establish a ‘January 6th insurrection commission.’ Police officers anonymously demanding that the people they protect vote a certain way on a specific piece of legislation? Haven’t seen that before.
Most people assumed the Capitol Hill police department was a law enforcement agency. Members of Congress certainly believe that. They trust their lives to Capitol Hill police. That’s why Capitol Hill police officers don’t lobby congress. That would be a dangerous conflict of interest, backed by an implied threat: do what we say, or watch your back. In this case, that’s exactly what they were saying to Republicans.
First off, there’s nothing “mysterious” about this letter. Members of a law enforcement agency that recently witnessed a violent attack on its officers that left one dead would like to get to the truth of exactly what happened and determine how such an egregious breach of safety can be avoided in the future. As would the American people.
Tucker Carlson on the letter from US Capitol Police members criticizing Republicans: That’s a ransom note. Imagine getting it from one of your own bodyguards… The Capitol Hill police are now effectively an armed political action committee.” pic.twitter.com/3cnyool22o
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) May 21, 2021
Second: To cite a letter as a “political demand”—one with an implied threat—is ridiculous. As Carlson said, the letter was “addressed to every member of the United States Congress.” In the same way that any American citizen can call or write a lawmaker to express an opinion on a certain matter, so too can members of the Capitol Police. Of course, Tuck didn’t see it that way. He went on to quote the letter:
“We members of the United States Capitol Police write this letter to express our profound disappointment with the recent comments from both chambers’ minority leaders [Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell] expressing no need for a January 6 commission.”
“We are expected to remain neutral and do our jobs with honor and integrity,” the letter continued. “It’s unfortunate that our ‘bosses’ [Congress] are not held to the same standard that we, the USCP are.” Well, that’s a ransom note. Imagine getting it from one of your own bodyguards. It might be enough to make you rethink your position, which was, of course, the point of it.
As if the ransom note comment wasn’t bad enough, Carlson then took his rhetoric about five steps further—and somehow found a way to make these same police officers responsible for “taxpayer-funded abortions.” No, seriously…
The Capitol Hill police are now effectively an armed political action committee, so you have to ask, what other partisan demands will they make in the future? Do Capitol Hill cops have strong views on voter ID laws? How about taxpayer-funded abortions, or our next trade deal with China? If so, they’ve got the muscle to make their voices heard. You can see why this is setting a very bad precedent. But it didn’t bother Democrats. It helped them in the short term. So they immediately put that letter to use.
The end of the story, of course, is that despite most Republicans not wanting to uncover the details behind a murderous riot on their own doorstep, they were ultimately outnumbered. The House voted to establish an investigatory commission, though how it will fare in the Senate remains to be seen. Whatever the case, we’re sure it’s not the last word Carlson will have on the topic.
(Via The Daily Beast)