Tucker Carlson’s latest documentary series, The 9/11 Files, concludes with a stark examination of how the 9/11 attacks reshaped America. The final episode, titled “Total Control,” highlights the failure of the 9/11 Commission to address the root causes of the tragedy while enabling a surge in government power.

Carlson argues that the commission’s report, instead of exposing systemic failures, shielded the Bush administration and paved the way for sweeping reforms that expanded surveillance and control. “The 9/11 Commission failed to fulfill its single task: explaining how 9/11 happened,” he states. “Instead, it protected the Bush administration, which went on to win a resounding reelection victory in 2004.”

Kristen Breitweiser, a lawyer and 9/11 widow, emphasizes that the U.S. government had ample intelligence to prevent the attacks but chose to prioritize power over accountability. “The U.S. had everything it needed to stop the terrorists,” she says. “Congress gave the deep state unchecked access to personal records, including library and bookstore data, with minimal oversight.”

John Kiriakou, a former CIA counterterrorism officer, details the agency’s shift from an intelligence service to a paramilitary force. He recounts operations in Pakistan where detainees were captured without clear legal justification, later sent to Guantanamo Bay for indefinite detention. “We filled the Rawalpindi jail,” he recalls. “The Paks wanted these guys out, so we sent them to Cuba.”

Carlson criticizes the use of torture, including waterboarding and sleep deprivation, as part of post-9/11 policies. He notes that while the U.S. once condemned such practices—such as the 1946 execution of Japanese soldiers for waterboarding—the Bush administration justified them under the guise of national security. “The law never changed,” he says. “But somehow, in 2002, we decided we didn’t have to follow it.”

The series also explores the rise of the CIA’s budget and influence, with Carlson highlighting how the agency leveraged post-9/11 resources to expand its operations globally. He points to the role of figures like George Tenet, Condoleezza Rice, and John Brennan in shaping policies that prioritized power over justice.

Carlson concludes by urging a new commission to investigate unresolved questions about 9/11, including the involvement of key officials and the true cost of the wars that followed. “The American people have a right to know what actually happened,” he says. “They should be outraged by the lying and demand answers.”