Jan. 6 committee releases video of Capitol tour the day before attack
The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack released surveillance video on Wednesday of a tour led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) one day before the riot. Participants took photos and videos of areas of the Capitol complex that are "not typically of interest to tourists, including hallways, staircases, and security checkpoints," the committee said.
The panel also released footage shot near the Capitol on Jan. 6 by a man they said was on the tour. The man is heard making apparent threats toward House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). "They're coming in, coming in like white on rice for Pelosi, Nadler, even you, AOC," the man states. "We're coming to take you out and pull you out by your hairs."
Loudermilk has rebuffed a request to meet with the committee, and denied any wrongdoing. In a letter sent to Republican members of the House Administration Committee on Monday, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger wrote that there were about 15 people on Loudermilk's tour, and there is no evidence he "entered the U.S. Capitol with this group on Jan. 5, 2021. We train our officers on being alert for people conducting surveillance or reconnaissance, and we do not consider any of the activities we observed as suspicious."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There are 20 buildings and facilities in the Capitol complex, and the surveillance video does not show the tour group entering the Capitol building itself. In a letter sent to Loudermilk on Wednesday, the Jan. 6 committee's chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), raises the point that the complex was closed to visitors at the time because of the coronavirus. By taking photos of tunnels, hallways, and staircases, "the behavior of these individuals during the Jan. 5, 2021, tour raises concerns about their activity and intent while inside the Capitol complex," Thompson said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Foreigners in Spain facing a 100% tax on homes as the country battles a housing crisis
Under the Radar The goal is to provide 'more housing, better regulation and greater aid,' said Spain's prime minister
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: January 22, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Codeword: January 22, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Trump starts term with spate of executive orders
Speed Read The president is rolling back many of Joe Biden's climate and immigration policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pardons or commutes all charged Jan. 6 rioters
Speed Read The new president pardoned roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
DeSantis appoints Florida's top lawyer to US Senate
Speed Read The state's attorney general, Ashley Moody, will replace Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Pam Bondi downplays politics at confirmation hearing
Speed Read Trump's pick for attorney general claimed her Justice Department would not prosecute anyone for political reasons
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden warns of oligarchy in farewell address
Speed Read The president issued a stark warning about the dangers of unchecked power in the hands of the ultra-wealthy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why Trump's Cabinet nominees are facing confirmation delays
In the Spotlight Paperwork and politics play a role
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Hegseth boosts hopes for confirmation amid grilling
Speed Read The Senate held confirmation hearings for Pete Hegseth, Trump's Defense Secretary nominee
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published