Recently leaked footage of an interview between former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has brought forth startling allegations. According to Sund, he believes that officials were aware of the January 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection before it occurred and deliberately concealed this information.
The leaked interview, which was never aired by Fox, surfaced after former President Donald Trump faced four criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in the January 6 attack. The indictment accuses Trump of seeking to retain power after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden. The charges against him include conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.
Sund’s concerns stem from the actions, or lack thereof, taken by the government leading up to the riot. He believes that those in power were aware of the attack in advance but failed to share this intelligence with the necessary authorities, leading to a perceived cover-up. The pressure from Congress and the Capitol Police Union eventually resulted in Sund’s resignation following the riot.
In the leaked footage, Sund expressed his frustration over the denial of National Guard assistance both before and during the attack. He claimed that he made a request for National Guard troops around 1 p.m. on January 6, but it took 71 minutes to receive a response. The mobilization of 1,100 National Guard soldiers didn’t happen until more than three hours after his initial request, according to a report by NPR.
Criticism was also directed at Trump, who allegedly made no effort to deploy the National Guard and instead spoke at a rally in Washington, D.C., on the day of the riot. Vice President Mike Pence reportedly attempted to order the deployment of the National Guard troops according to a report by the Military Times.
Sund questioned why crucial intelligence about the attack was not disseminated to those who needed it, suggesting that officials were aware of the impending violence. Trump’s earlier tweet mentioning a “wild” protest on January 6 raised further concerns about the events that unfolded.
While Sund emphasized that he is not a conspiracy theorist, the revelations from the leaked interview have generated shock and speculation. Sund had previously shared his account of January 6 in his book titled “Courage Under Fire: Under Siege and Outnumbered 58 to 1 on January 6,” published earlier this year.
Twitter users expressed surprise and disbelief over the leaked interview, with some contemplating the possible reasons behind the events of January 6. The allegations have raised questions about the handling of the situation and the government’s response to the riot.
