Andy McCarthy blasts Jan. 6 committee for not telling both sides: Even terrorists get their day in court

close

Video

Andy McCarthy blasts Jan. 6 committee for not telling other side of the story

Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy reacts to the 'anti-Trump' Jan. 6 committee's first primetime hearing.

Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy said on Friday that the Jan. 6th committee undercut their prime-time hearing on the Capitol riot by not telling both sides of the story.

"I used to prosecute bad guys for a long time. We even let terrorists and Mafiosi and scam artists have their own day in court where they get to present their own side of the story," McCarthy told "America's Newsroom."

McCarthy's comments came after lawmakers on the Jan. 6 committee, during their Thursday night hearing, said former President Trump "spurred a mob of domestic enemies" to attack the Capitol in an effort to "subvert American democracy" and overturn the 2020 presidential election. 

Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., in his opening statement, said Trump "was at the center of this conspiracy." 

JAN. 6 COMMITTEE AIMS TO SHOW 'TRUMP WAS AT THE CENTER' OF PLOT TO OVERTURN ELECTION WITH PRIMETIME HEARING

Vice Chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., gives her opening remarks as Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., left, and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., look on, as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its first public hearing to reveal the findings of a year-long investigation, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 9, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

"Ultimately, Donald Trump, the president of the United States, spurred a mob of domestic enemies… to march down the Capitol and subvert American democracy," Thompson said. 

McCarthy argued the Democrat-majority committee is only unified by being "anti-Trump."

"I think they have a very powerful story to tell… but they've undercut it by not having a fair fact-finding proceeding," he told host Dana Perino.

Lawmakers on the committee also presented videos of interviews and depositions with former top Trump officials before the select committee. 

Republicans have argued the committee is not legitimate because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., did not seat Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's chosen Republicans on the committee.

Video

Republicans have also argued the committee is ignoring the physical security of the Capitol to focus on the Trump-related storyline. 

"We should study the events that led up to it. Why the Capitol was left unsecured on Jan. 6 when there was intelligence dating back before Jan. 6 something was going to happen," GOP Rep. Jim Banks said in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

McCarthy also noted that most of the lawmakers on the committee were on important committees in connection with the Russia investigation.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

"If there was some blockbuster information that we hadn't heard already, we'd have heard it. You know, they managed to get that kind of information out. So I think what we have is a more graphic depiction of the things that we know already," McCarthy said.

"And what I continue to be baffled by is why they were afraid to let a couple of pro-Trump people be on the committee."

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.