Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) called out Fox News for plans to air a documentary on the January 6 insurrection, as she said that the network was giving its top rated host “a platform to spread the same type of lies that provoked violence” on that date.
Carlson introduced the trailer on Wednesday, with plans to debut the three-part series on the Fox Nation streaming service starting on Sunday.
In the trailer, there is a suggestion that the January 6 attack on the Capitol was a “false flag” operation. In the trailer, one of the talking heads is heard saying, “False flags have happened in this country … one of which may have been January 6th,” as images of the unrest on that date are shown. Politifact has called that claim baseless and false multiple times.
Among those who also called out the trailer was Geraldo Rivera, the Fox News personality, who called its claims of false flags “Bulls—.”
“False flags!?” Bullshit https://t.co/FBi03zAvoc
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) October 28, 2021
Cheney is the top Republican on the House committee to investigate the events of January 6. The other Republican on the committee, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), also tweeted criticism of the trailer.
She wrote on Twitter, “It appears that @FoxNews is giving @TuckerCarlson a platform to spread the same type of lies that provoked violence on January 6. As @FoxNews knows, the election wasn’t stolen and January 6 was not a ‘false flag” operation.’” She included a link to the trailer.
It appears that @FoxNews is giving @TuckerCarlson a platform to spread the same type of lies that provoked violence on January 6. As @FoxNews knows, the election wasn’t stolen and January 6 was not a “false flag” operation. @rupertmurdoch @jayawallace @Suzannescott @SpeakerRyan https://t.co/ODKZFVUFBa
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) October 28, 2021
The network did not immediately return a request for comment.
Rivera told The New York Times about his tweet, “The record to me is pretty damn clear, that there was a riot that was incited and encouraged and unleashed by Donald Trump.” He declined to say whether he would call in Fox News to reconsider plans to show the special.
The special is via Tucker Carlson Originals. In the trailers, Carlson says, “The helicopters have left Afghanistan, and now they have landed here at home.” He later says, “They have begun to fight a new enemy, in a new war on terror.”