Reaction & Commentary
BUT THERE IS A BIT OF NEWS TO EMERGE FROM THAT STORY, AND WE WANT TO GET TO IT NOW. SO THE NEAR TIMES HAS WRITTEN HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF ARTICLES ABOUT JANUARY 6TH AS IT HAPPENED, DESCRIBING IT AS A RIOT, AND INSURRECTION. IT’S PART OF ITS COVERAGE, LEFT
SOME ARE THEY PUBLISHED A VIDEO DOCUMENT OR IN WHICH THE TIMES REPORTED THAT ONE MAN WAS ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON CAMERA PLANNING AND INSURRECTION, ENCOURAGING A BREACH OF THE CAPITAL COMPLEX. THAT MAN’S NAME IS RAY APPS. “THE NEW YORK TIMES” NOTED THAT HE WAS VIDEOTAPED ON BOTH JANUARY 5TH AND JANUARY 6TH
URGING PROTESTERS TO SWARM THE CAPITAL. HERE IT IS. >> WE NEED TO GO IN LEAP TO THE CAPITAL. LET’S GO! I’M PROBABLY GOING TO GO TO JAIL FOR IT! TOMORROW WE NEED TO GO INTO THE CAPITAL! INTO THE CAPITAL! >> NO! >> SPREAD THE WORD. AS SOON AS THE PRESIDENT STOPPED
SPEAKING, WE GO TO THE CAPITAL. CAPITAL IS THIS DIRECTION. >> Tucker: IN A LOT OF WAYS, THAT’S THE STRANGEST VIDEO TO EMERGE FROM JANUARY 6. WE’VE PLAYED IT SEVERAL TIMES ON THE SHOW. “WE NEED TO GO INTO THE CAPITAL COME INTO THE CAPITAL,” HE TELLS THE CROWD. HE SAYS IT REPEATEDLY.
HE IS SO EMPHATIC ABOUT IT, ENCOURAGING OTHER PEOPLE TO COMMIT A CRIME. THE CROWD AROUND HIM THE SITES MUST BE A FEDERAL AGENT. THEY BEGAN CHANTING, AS YOU JUST HEARD. SHORTLY AFTER THE VIDEO SURFACED THE FBI PLACED HIM ON A LIST OF PEOPLE WANTED FOR QUESTIONING. THEY RELEASED HER TO THE PUBLIC
AND YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DID THAT. ACCORDING TO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, WHAT HE DID ON THAT VIDEO IS A FEDERAL CRIME. IN FACT, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS CHARGED SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY FOR DOING PRECISELY WHAT YOU JUST SAW RAY APPS DO, URGING OTHERS TO ENTER THE CAPITAL COMPLEX ON JANUARY 6.
HERE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THE QUOTE FROM A DOJ PRESS RELEASE THAT DESCRIBES THE FEDERAL CASE AGAINST FIVE MEMBERS OF THE SO-CALLED PROUD BOYS. A GROUP YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE TERRIFIED OF. “ON JANUARY 6, 2021, THE DEFENDANTS DIRECTED, MOBILIZED, AND LED NUMBERS OF THE CROWD ONTO THE CAPITAL GROUNDS AND INTO THE CAPITAL.”
AGAIN, THAT’S WHAT YOU JUST SAW RAY APPS TRIED TO DO. HERE’S THE DIFFERENCE, OTHERS WHO HAVE DONE THAT ARE IN PRISON OR FACING LONG TERM IN PRISON. BUT NO CHARGES HAVE EVER BEEN FILED AGAINST HIM DESPITE THE FACT THERE IS NO QUESTION HE DID IT. THAT’S VERY STRANGE. IT JUST IS.
IT IS STRANGE AND WE WOULD LIKE AN ANSWER TO WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON. WE’D ASKED RAY APPS ON THIS SHOWED REPEATEDLY TO EXPLAIN WHY HE THINKS HE HAS ESCAPED PROSECUTION AND WE WILL ASK HIM ONCE AGAIN TONIGHT AND WE WILL KEEP ASKING, WE THINK IT IS A VERY OBVIOUS AND ABORTIVE
QUESTION THAT GETS TO THE HEART OF WHAT IS THIS EXACTLY. BUT IT’S AMAZING HOW LITTLE DEMOCRATS WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THIS. AGAIN, NANCY PELOSI AND LIZ CHENEY HAVE SPENT THE LAST YEAR STAGING INVESTIGATION AT GREAT EXPENSE AND THEN A SERIES OF PUBLIC SHOW TRIALS ARRESTING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES, SUPPOSEDLY DESIGNED TO DISCOVER
HOW AND WHY JANUARY 6 HAPPENED. BUT THEY REMAIN CURIOUSLY UNINTERESTED IN THE APPS CASE WE GOT WHAT SEEMS LIKE AN ACTUAL INSURRECTIONIST ON TAPE BUT THEY DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT AND I DEFINITELY DON’T WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT IT OR ASK ANY QUESTIONS. AS IF TO PROVE THAT POINT,
“THE NEW YORK TIMES” JUST RAN A PIECE EXPLAINING THAT WHEN YOU ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT RAY APPS, YOU ARE COMMITTING A MORAL CRIME, MAYBE EVEN HELPING PUTIN. THE PIECE WAS ENTITLED “IT’S JUST BEEN HELL: LIFE AS THE VICTIM OF A JANUARY 6TH CONSPIRACY THEORY.” SO RAY EPPS, THE GUY TELLING
PEOPLE TO BREACH THE CAPITAL, IS NOW IN THE WORDS OF “THE NEW YORK TIMES,” A VICTIM, VICTIM OF YOUR UNRESTRAINED CURIOSITY. THIS PIECE WAS WRITTEN BY A REPORTER WHO HAS SPENT YEARS SHOWING OPENLY FOR THE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. IT MAY GIVE YOU SOME SENSE OF WHERE THE STORY COMES FROM.
“THE NEW YORK TIMES” PIECE WAS HIGHLY DECEPTIVE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE MERE TIME SAYS THAT HE WAS TAPED URGING PEOPLE TO GO TO THE CAPITAL. OH, BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT THE TAPE SHOWS. RAY EPPS WAS DOING SOME THING VERY DIFFERENT, HE WAS URGING PEOPLE TO GO INTO THE CAPITAL, NOT TO THE CAPITAL.
AND THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE LEGALLY. ONE IS A CRIME ACCORDING TO THE DOJ AND THE OTHER IS NOT A CRIME. THAT’S NOT ALL RAY EPPS DID. HE ALSO TOLD THEM WHAT THEY SHOULD DO ONCE THEY GOT INSIDE THE CAPITAL AND THIS IS JUST MINUTES BEFORE THE FIRST BREACH
OF THE BUILDING THAT DAY. WATCH. THEY GO CAN WE GO UP THERE? NO? >> WHEN WE COME IN — >> ARE WE GOING TO GET ARRESTED >> Tucker: LEAVE THIS HERE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? FOR SOME REASON THE MAYOR TIMES REPORTED DIDN’T ASK RAY EPPS WHAT HE MEANT BY THAT.
REPORTER SPENT A DAY TALKING TO EPPS. IT WAS A DAYLONG CONVERSATION ACCORDING TO THE STORY. THAT QUESTION NEVER CAME UP. NO MEANINGFUL QUESTION CAME UP. IT’S ALL VERY STRANGE. “THE NEW YORK TIMES” IS MOUNTING A PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN ON BEHALF OF A SELF-DESCRIBED TRUMP VOTER INSURRECTIONIST. THIS IS THE SAME PAPER THAT
CHEERED ASHLEY BABBITT’S DEATH, BUT THE SAME PAPER IS REAPING FOR RAY EPPS — WEEPING FOR RAY EPPS BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE MEAN TO HIM AMONG? IT’S ALL MOST LIKE THEY’RE COVER SOMETHING UP. VERY NEAR THE END OF “THE NEW YORK TIMES” PIECE THERE’S A HINT, WE FIND THIS LINE.
“MR. EPPS ALSO SAID HE REGRETTED SENDING A TEXT OF HIS NEPHEW WELL AFTER THE VIOLENCE HAD ERUPTED IN WHICH HE DISCUSSED HOW HE HAD HELPED ORCHESTRATE THE MOVEMENTS OF PEOPLE WHO WERE LEAVING MR. TRUMP’S BEACH NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE BY POINTING THEM IN THE DIRECTION OF THE CAPITOL.” REALLY?
BUT WAS IN THAT TEXT? WE NEVER HEARD OF THAT BEFORE, AND A KIND OF MAKES YOU THINK THE ENTIRE “NEW YORK TIMES” PIECE WAS WRITTEN TO DROP THAT LITTLE BOMB AT THE END IN THE LEAST DAMAGING WAY. WE’VE NEVER SEEN THAT TEXT MESSAGE BEFORE. WHAT EXACTLY DID RAY EPPS SAY TO HIS NEPHEW?
HAVE PROSECUTORS REVIEWED THAT TEXT? “THE NEW YORK TIMES” DOESN’T TELL US. NOR DOES “THE NEW YORK TIMES” TELL US WHETHER RAY EPPS’ HAD ANY CONTACT WITH ANY FEDERAL AGENCIES IN THE PERIOD BEFORE JANUARY 6. THE CORE QUESTION. BUT THEY DIDN’T ASK IT. WHY IS THAT? SEEMS LIKE A MAJOR OMISSION.
BUT DON’T ASK MORE QUESTIONS, OTHERWISE RAY EPPS MAY BE KILLED BY MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS. MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS? WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO DO WITH THIS? WE ARE NOT SURE, BUT ACCORDING TO THE PAPER THERE ARE PEOPLE HAVE HEARD “SOME CARTEL MEMBERS TALK ABOUT KILLING MR. EPPS.” RIGHT, BECAUSE THE DRUG CARTELS
ARE COMMITTED TRUMP VOTERS AND THEY FEEL BETRAYED BY RAY EPPS? MAYBE THEY ARE QUEUING ON PEOPLE TOO? THIS IS HIGHLY STRANGE, AND IF YOU’RE GOING TO SPEND MORE THAN A YEAR LOOKING INTO JANUARY 6 AND YOU IGNORE THIS, THEN IT’S MORE THAN STRANGE. IT’S AN INDICTMENT OF YOUR MOTIVES.
ONE OF THE REASONS THIS PIECE WAS FIRST WRITTEN, THE EDITOR OF ROBBER NEWS, WHICH PUBLISHED THE FIRST STORIES ABOUT RAY EPPS. I WAS LEAVING “NEW YORK TIMES” IS VERY WORRIED ABOUT HIS REPORTING AND WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE HIM JOIN US TONIGHT. DARREN, THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING ON.
WHAT YOU MAKE OF THIS? >> WELL, IT’S PRETTY REMARKABLE. I MEAN LET’S TAKE ALL OF THIS IN. THE ONE PERSON CAUGHT REPEATEDLY URGING PEOPLE INTO THE CAPITOL AS EARLY AS JANUARY 5TH IS THE ONE PERSON OF ALL OF THE JANUAR. TO THAT “THE NEW YORK TIMES” JUST HAPPENS TO WRITE THIS ULTRA
SYMPATHETIC PUFF PIECE FOR. IT’S QUITE REMARKABLE, AND TO LOOK AT THE PIECE ITSELF, AS YOU SUGGESTED IN YOUR INTRO, THERE’S SOME REAL GLARING OMISSIONS FROM A JOURNALISTIC STANDPOINT TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE SKY. NUMBER ONE, IN THE ENTIRE PIECE, THERE IS NO BLANKET EXPLICIT DENIAL ON THE PART OF EPPS TO
HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH ANY INTELLIGENCE GROUP MY DHS, J.T. TF, MILITARY INTELLIGENCE, SO FORTH, JUST REITERATES IS VERY LEGAL DENIAL OF BEING INVOLVED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. NUMBER TWO, THE PIECE DESCRIBES EPPS AS OF TRUMP SUPPORTER. HE JUST WENT TO D.C. TO DEFEND TRUMP AND TO ATTEND THE SPEECH
ON A LAST MINUTE THING WITH HIS SON TO ATTEND THE SPEECH ON ELECTION FRAUD. THE ONLY THING IS, EPPS DIDN’T ATTEND THE SPEECH. EPPS TRAVELS ALL THE WAY FROM ARIZONA TO D.C., THIS BIG TRUMP SUPPORTER, AND HE DOESN’T EVEN ATTEND THE SPEECH? INSTEAD, HE FIXATES ON THIS BIZARRE MISSION TO GET EVERYONE
TO GO INTO THE CAPITOL? AND BY THE WAY, JUST HAPPENS TO BE HANGING OUT RIGHT BY THE INITIAL BREACH POINT NEAR THE MONUMENT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CAPITOL BEFORE THE PROUD BOYS EVEN GET THERE? AND THIRDLY, WHERE DID RAY EPPS GET THIS IDEA? THIS WHOLE PIECE DOESN’T EXPLORE
THAT QUESTION AT ALL. HERE’S THE ONE PERSON CALLING FOR EVERYONE TO GO IN. WHERE DID YOU GET THAT IDEA, RAY EPPS? DID IT OCCUR 2 OUT OF NOWHERE? COULD SOMEONE TELL YOU TO DO IT? THIS PIECE, SHOCKINGLY, DOES NOT EXPLORE THAT QUESTION AT ALL, WHICH IS THE PARAMOUNT QUESTION
THAT’S REALLY THE ANIMATING — THE LEGEND ANIMATED FOCUS OF JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE. THIS IS SO DIRTY. HIS BEHAVIOR WAS SO EGREGIOUS THAT HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST 20 ON THE FBI MOST WANTED LIST, FEATURED AS A STAR IN “THE NEW YORK TIMES”‘S OWN DOCUMENTARY ON JANUARY 6TH, AND NOW HE’S ON ARRESTED,
UNINDICTED, HE’S THE ONLY JANUARY 6TH RIOTER ABOUT WHOM ADAM KINZINGER HAS NICE THINGS TO SAY AND “THE NEW YORK TIMES” IS READY PUFF PIECES ABOUT. USE THE SMOKING GUN OF THESE ENTIRE INSURRECTION. >> Tucker: AND THEY GO CRAZY WHEN YOU ASK SIMPLE QUESTIONS LIKE WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF
FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE MILITARY IN THIS DAY, AND IT’S BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY WON’T ANSWER A QUESTION AND CALL YOU NAMES FOR ASKING IT, MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING
