GOP's Attempt to Protect Capitol Rioters Exposed by Mike Johnson's Office

House Speaker Mike Johnson's office walked back his statement that the faces of Jan. 6 insurrectionists would be blurred in security footage to avoid prosecution by the DOJ. A spokesperson clarified that the decision was to protect rioters from harassment by the public, not from prosecution, as the DOJ already has access to the raw footage. The release of thousands of hours of security footage from the Capitol riot has been instrumental in the prosecution of 1,200 rioters. Johnson and other Republicans have pushed for the full release of the footage to portray the insurrection as mostly non-violent, despite numerous charges involving serious bodily injury to police officers.