Tucker Carlson is feeding your family revisionist guilt-assuaging lies about the insurrection

3 min readFeb 24, 2021

On Monday, Tucker Carlson claimed that there was “no evidence” that the Capitol riots (a) involved white supremacists; or (b) were an “armed insurrection.”[1] Both these claims are demonstrably false.

To appraise whether white supremacists were part of the insurrectionary riots, I would recommend you avail yourself of the mountains of photographic and video evidence.[2] The footage clearly shows obvious Neo-Nazi (NSC-131[3] / “Camp Auschwitz”[4]), Confederate,[5] and various white nationalist[6] paraphernalia involved in the riots. If your own eyes are not proof enough to you, several law enforcement officials have also unambiguously testified that white supremacists were not only involved but among those that actively planned the insurrection[7] and several of the rioters since arrested have admitted or proven ties to white supremacist groups.[8]

The idea that the insurrectionary riots were not “armed” is also obviously false. If brutally beating police officers with poles and other blunt instruments[9][10][11] isn’t “weapon” enough for you, consider that: (a) law enforcement officers have seized large amounts of firearms and ammunition from those arrested before and after the Capitol riot;[12] (b) a truck seized by authorities near the Capitol contained a plethora of dangerous weapons, including eleven Molotov cocktails, multiple firearms, and machetes;[13] and (c) pipe bombs were discovered after being deliberately planted at the RNC and DNC headquarters in anticipation of the riot.[14] A former ATF agent has speculated that due to the minimal arrests and lack of searches, there were probably “many, many more firearms that were there that were not uncovered.”[15]

Though they may not admit it, a lot of Republicans reasonably feel guilt about the insurrectionary riot and desperately tempted to bite on minimizing claims about the whole sordid affair. However, Tucker’s intended-to-assuage claims are not even “colorably true” nor a “matter of opinion.” They are just lies designed to alleviate guilt and make your meemaw continue to feel morally righteous for voting Republican. If you ever want for an explanation as to why your conservative family members seem so “out of touch,” I would recommend you start with their media diet. Garbage in, garbage out.

[1] https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1364034271896358913

[2] https://mega.nz/folder/30MlkQib#RDOaGzmtFEHkxSYBaJSzVA

[3] https://www.jta.org/2021/01/07/united-states/hate-on-display-your-guide-to-the-symbols-and-signs-on-display-at-the-stop-the-count-insurrection

[4] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-holocaust-memorial-usa-idUSKBN29W02D

[5] https://theconversation.com/the-confederate-battle-flag-which-rioters-flew-inside-the-us-capitol-has-long-been-a-symbol-of-white-insurrection-153071

[6] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/decoding-hate-symbols-seen-at-capitol-insurrection

[7] https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/capitol-riot-hearing-02-23-21/h_041aa67c1fdfdd0168efed4a1a30961b

[8] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/neo-nazi-conspiracy-baked-alaska-arrest-capitol-b1788372.html

[9] https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/01/29/body-cam-footage-shows-attack-on-police-capitol-riots-prokupecz-lead-vpx.cnn

[10] https://gothamist.com/news/retired-nypd-cop-arrested-allegedly-beating-dc-officer-during-capitol-insurrection

[11] https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/01/11/police-beating-capitol-mob/

[12] https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/feb/15/ron-johnson/yes-jan-6-capitol-assault-was-armed-insurrection/