An interesting exchange at the end of Kristen Welker’s interview with House Intel Chair Mile Turner shows how critical it is to the January 6th narrative that the Capitol security video not be released. But it was, and Welker quickly tried to pivot when Turner responded to accusations of the GOP cherry picking video to release.
Watch this exchange towards the end of their interview on Meet The Press:
KRISTEN WELKER: Let me ask you, quickly, about the newly elected Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. He just made the decision to release, and he started the process, 40,000 hours of footage from January 6th. The Capitol Police have expressed real concerns that that could jeopardize the security of the Capitol. Do you think it was responsible to release all of the footage from January 6th?
U.S. REP. MIKE TURNER: I think it's important for Americans to know the truth. This has been fraught with an unbelievable amount of misinformation and untruths and I think this, when you see the footage yourself, it’s going to give you an understanding of what was there and what occurred that day because we are currently only depending upon really partisan descriptions and now the American people can see.
WELKER: Well, and speaking of which, some of your Republican colleagues have cherry picked some of the images to, frankly, further some conspiracy theories. Do you- are you comfortable with that?
TURNER: I think it's been cherry picked by both sides. I mean, certainly, the January 6th Commission, itself, only gave just one view…
WELKER: But let me ask you about your colleagues… But let me ask you about your Republican colleagues in the wake of this footage being released. Are you comfortable with, for example, Marjorie Taylor Greene posting, suggesting that this was an inside job by the Capitol Police? She removed the tweet, of course, but does that make you uncomfortable?
TURNER: You'll have to talk to Marjorie Taylor Greene about that. But what I will say is that I think it's important that the Speaker has taken this step because now people can see the truth.
WELKER: Congressman Turner, thank you so much.
TURNER: Thank you for having me.
WELKER: Really appreciate it. Great to have you here in person.
The interview was otherwise unremarkable, other than Welker’s insistence on framing the Hamas hostage release deal as a Biden win. Welker and Turner discussed a variety of issues, from Israel, Hamas, future aid to Israel, Ukraine, to the southern border. But then Welker tried to goad Turner on whether it was reckless to release the January 6th video.
The left has enjoyed narrative control over January 6th for nearly three years, largely, because Capitol security video went unreleased. Once Speaker Mike Johnson released the video, it became clear that the left would no longer enjoy narrative control. As Turner made clear, the People would now be able to see for themselves what happened inside the Capitol that day, as opposed to a partisan reading of that day, advanced by partisan media.
Welker was unable to whatabout or bully Turner into compliance. The People will watch and decide for themselves, media protest notwithstanding.
Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned interview as aired on NBC’s Meet The Press on Sunday, November 26th, 2023:
KRISTEN WELKER: Joining me now is the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Mike Turner of Ohio. Welcome back to "Meet The Press," Congressman.
U.S. REP. MIKE TURNER: Thank you for having me.
WELKER: Thank you so much for being back in person on a very big day. We really appreciate it. So, let's start with what we know about this release of hostages in addition to the three that the White House has said they anticipate will be released. There are still seven other Americans who are unaccounted for. Is it your expectation that those seven Americans, based on the intelligence that you have, are still being held hostage? Do you know if they're alive?
U.S. REP. MIKE TURNER: Right. It's been very curious that the administration is so quick to claim this as a Biden deal and as you just heard from Jake Sullivan, he continues to say we know every detail but then he can't answer your questions as to those details. You know, our expectation is there are ten Americans that are being held out of the 240 hostages and people who are missing. No one really knows the number, Jake Sullivan was saying that he doesn't even know the number, nor do we know proof of life. And you would have thought this- if they're claiming credit that this is a Biden deal, that those are details that we would have conditioned this process through. Because the aid that’s going into northern Gaza, that’s a condition that Hamas required, includes American aid. And so, obviously, everyone is very concerned. But one thing that's also important here is to understand that the word “hostage” barely describes what these people have been through. These are not detainees- these people were not in Gaza. They were in their homes in Israel. They witnessed the brutal murdering of their families, neighbors and friends and then were taken, kidnapped from their homes, into Gaza and they've been held in brutal conditions and as we know some of the hostages have been killed. So I'm certain these hostages, these individuals that have been kidnapped and are being released went through a very brutal time.
WELKER: I want to ask you more about the intelligence that you have, but to your point about whether this is a Biden deal. You heard Mr. Sullivan just say to me that the details are very sensitive. Does the president deserve some credit given that he has been working the phones- on the phones with the leader of Qatar, Egypt, Israel- to try to get this temporary pause in the fighting?
TURNER: Right. I think people would expect nothing less and certainly it appears that the administration has stepped up for that.
WELKER: So do you give him some credit?
TURNER: Absolutely. I think what’s curious, though, is that this is a period fraught with peril for them to be so quick to claim credit for a deal that we don't know what’s going to come out of this. I just think it's very dangerous.
WELKER: Speaking of the perils here, do you have any concerns that Hamas is delaying the release of American citizens to use them effectively as bargaining chips, Congressman?
TURNER: Exactly. Which is why I'm concerned that the Biden administration didn't make it a condition of this deal, that Americans be in the first hostages that are released, especially since American aid is going into Gaza right now, into northern Gaza, as part of the conditions that Hamas had. I think when the administration says they know every detail and then tell you that they don't even know if they're alive- that is certainly concerning. Also, the aspect, as you raised in the interview, is the Red Cross is supposed to be having access now to the remaining hostages. So we're supposed to be getting information as to what their condition is and who is being held. Because the hostage lists today are based on people who are missing.
WELKER: And Jake said that he expects that, ultimately, that will happen potentially by tomorrow. Why is that so critical and do you anticipate it will happen by tomorrow? Are you getting any information that points to that?
TURNER: I think it’s very-- you know, this is a war zone. And so it's very-- unknowns are rampant, and the other aspect here is, is that we're not even sure that Hamas has all of the hostages. There are other radical groups within Gaza that might have possession of some of these hostages,we’re not sure which ones are alive, where their bodies may be in either Gaza, or where Hamas has held them-- how will the Red Cross be able to tell us who is alive and who is not, and that is part of, certainly, the terrible distress that these families go through-- people who have been told that their relatives are deceased are now finding they are alive-- people who believed they’re alive may find out the tragic news.
WELKER: I want to ask you, big picture, about how Israel is conducting this war. As you know, the IDF has taken the head of Al-Shifa hospital in for questioning. Israel, the United States have said that their intelligence points to the fact that Hamas is effectively embedding itself inside Al-Shifa, inside other hospitals. Do you think the United States should release its intelligence publicly, or at least more information publicly,to help make the case to people globally who are saying too many civilian lives have been lost here.
TURNER: Right. I think we have to remember that right now this is a war zone, and Israel has openly stated that its goal is to take out Hamas and Hamas' control of Gaza. Hamas still has control of Gaza. When this ceasefire period ends, as Netanyahu has said, the conflict will continue and the conflict will continue as Israel has stated until Hamas is removed. Obviously, one of the issues that you have to look at in releasing intelligence is that since this is a war zone, and you're trying to enter into that dialogue about what has happened, you still have things that can impact the outcome. You need to be cautious
WELKER: Given that, though… one A.P. report described what happened in Gaza as a, quote, “uninhabitable moonscape”. Just to push you a little bit, should there be- does there need to be more transparency about the intelligence that Israel has, about the intelligence, frankly, that the United States has about Hamas?
TURNER: Well, I certainly think it is beneficial to tell the story of what Hamas is.
WELKER: Would you support more transparency? Should more intelligence be released?
TURNER: Certainly on the issue of Hamas. Because the Palestinians are as much prisoners to Hamas in Gaza. Once Hamas won its election, however rigged it may have been, to take over Gaza, there's never been another one. They are absolutely being suppressed by Hamas itself.
WELKER: Let me ask you about the growing global pressure on Israel to commit to a full ceasefire because of concerns about the high civilian death toll. This comes, as I was just talking about, amid growing calls for U.S. aid to Israel to be conditioned on a plan to limit civilian deaths. Is that something you would support?
TURNER: I think the White House has been clear, and I think U.S. policy has been clear, of lessening the Palestinian casualties that are not Hamas. And I think certainly Israel has made clear in the areas in which there's going to be conflict and trying to get people to leave those areas to lessen those casualties.
WELKER: But would you vote for that if it came to you, if it was introduced as legislation, conditional aid to Israel?
TURNER: I wouldn't propose it, but I think it does accurately reflect U.S. policy.
WELKER: OK. Let me ask you about Iran. Do you, big picture -- we know that Iran obviously funds hHamas. Do you see this as a proxy war between the United States and Iran?
TURNER: Oh, absolutely. And they see it as their prox-- they state it is, and they state that it is their proxy war against the West.
WELKER: Should the U.S. take action against Iran if it continues to escalate?
TURNER: I think we currently are taking action against their- their proxies--
WELKER: Direct military action?
TURNER: I do- against their proxies. I do think that the administration should step up its effort in protecting our own troops in Syria and Iraq who have been subject to attack by Iranian proxies. But you’re right. These are absolutely Iranian franchises, funded, trained, and stood up as terrorist organizations to attack the West.
WELKER: President , as you know, has asked for a robust aid package that would include aid to Ukraine, aid to Israel, Taiwan- funding for the southern border. Is this something that you anticipate could pass by the end of the year?
TURNER: I think it would be very difficult to get it done by the end of the year and the impediment, currently, is the White House policy on the southern border. The White House, in this package, making- including it as a national security package recognizing that the southern border is a threat and put in funding, but it’s going to need policy changes. Congress is going to require that there be laws changed to make certain that the border returns to its prior state, and perhaps Remain in Mexico and other types of provisions that would secure the southern border.
WELKER: Let me ask you, quickly, about the newly elected Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. He just made the decision to release, and he started the process, 40,000 hours of footage from January 6th. The Capitol Police have expressed real concerns that that could jeopardize the security of the Capitol. Do you think it was responsible to release all of the footage from January 6th?
TURNER: I think it's important for Americans to know the truth. This has been fraught with an unbelievable amount of misinformation and untruths and I think this, when you see the footage yourself, it’s going to give you an understanding of what was there and what occurred that day because we are currently only depending upon really partisan descriptions and now the American people can see.
WELKER: Well, and speaking of which, some of your Republican colleagues have cherry picked some of the images to, frankly, further some conspiracy theories. Do you- are you comfortable with that?
TURNER: I think it's been cherry picked by both sides. I mean, certainly, the January 6th Commission, itself, only gave just one view…
WELKER: But let me ask you about your colleagues… But let me ask you about your Republican colleagues in the wake of this footage being released. Are you comfortable with, for example, Marjorie Taylor Greene posting, suggesting that this was an inside job by the Capitol Police? She removed the tweet, of course, but does that make you uncomfortable?
TURNER: You'll have to talk to Marjorie Taylor Greene about that. But what I will say is that I think it's important that the Speaker has taken this step because now people can see the truth.
WELKER: Congressman Turner, thank you so much.
TURNER: Thank you for having me.
WELKER: Really appreciate it. Great to have you here in person.
