Tucker Carlson Shares Details of Never-Aired Capitol Riot Interview

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson shared details of an interview he had with former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, which he said never aired before he was fired from the conservative network in April.

During an appearance on comedian Russell Brand's podcast on Friday, Carlson said that Sund told him in an interview that federal agents were allegedly in the crowd that was present on January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. Supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building at the time in an effort to stop the certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. Meanwhile, the events that transpired on January 6 continue to be under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ), while some rioters have faced various sentences, including jail time.

Carlson said on Friday that he had no idea as he watched the riot on television that "U.S. law enforcement or military agencies had anything to do with it. That never crossed my mind," adding that he is not a "conspiracist" to have such thoughts.

"I never thought that and then I interviewed the chief of the Capitol police, Steven Sund, in an interview that was never aired on Fox by the way. I was fired before it could air... but Steven Sund [who] was totally non-political...I mean this was not some right-wing activist, he was the chief of Capitol police on January 6, and he said, 'Oh yeah, that crowd was filled with federal agents.' Yes, he would know of course because he was in charge of security at the site," the former Fox News host added.

Meanwhile, Sund didn't write in his book, which is titled Courage Under Fire: Under Siege and Outnumbered 58 to 1 on January 6 that was released in January, about Carlson's allegation that the crowd was "filled" with federal agents, according to the Daily Mail. Newsweek couldn't independently verify whether Carlson's allegation is true or not.

In March, Thomas Manger, the current chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, criticized Carlson's previous portrayal of the riot and said his statements were "filled with offensive and misleading conclusions," according to CBS News. Manger also accused Carlson of airing specific January 6 footage that doesn't provide the full context of what happened that day.

"Last night an opinion program aired commentary that was filled with offensive and misleading conclusions about the January 6th attack," Manger said at the time in a letter obtained by CBS News. "The opinion program never reached out to the department to provide accurate context."

In early May, Sund tweeted about his interview with Carlson, writing that "on the day he was fired, @TuckerCarlson was planning to air parts of our 1-hour interview and showcase my book. It was an interview he was excited about and said it 'made the hair on my arm stand up.' But Fox canned both Tucker and the interview. Coincidence?"

Carlson, who had massive ratings for Fox News as the host of Tucker Carlson Tonight since 2016, was abruptly fired from the company on April 24. His comments on Friday was touted by some conservative political commentators on Twitter.

"HUGE: Capitol Police Chief told Tucker that J6 crowd was loaded w/federal agents Fox fired Tucker before he could air the interview The Biden regime doesn't want the country to know the truth about J6 It was a highly coordinated federal operation," tweeted media personality DC_Draino.

Meanwhile, host of the Charlie Kirk Show, Charlie Kirk, tweeted: "NEW: Tucker Carlson tells Russell Brand that an interview he conducted with Chief of the Capitol Police, Steven Sund, told him the J6 'crowd was filled with federal agents.' Tucker was fired before the interview could air. He says he will interview Sund again."

"Tucker Carlson BLOWS The Doors Off January 6th LIES. Reveals Fox News REFUSED To Air His J6 Interview Of Capitol Chief Of Police PROVING 'The US Capitol Was FILLED With Federal Agents' Tucker Describes Fox Execs Attacking him For J6 Report: 'F**k You!' Narrative Collapse. Wo," said TV host Benny Johnson.

In addition, Sund in January warned that the U.S. Capitol is still not safe from attacks after two years since the insurrection. In his book, the former chief provided his account of his attempts to protect Congress and his officers from violence on that fateful day.

Newsweek reached out by email to the U.S. Capitol Police's public information office and Sund for comment.