Home WebMail Friday, November 1, 2024, 03:38 AM | Calgary | -3.6°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Posted: 2023-12-07T02:50:08Z | Updated: 2023-12-07T02:50:42Z

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy falsely suggested Wednesday that the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by hundreds of Donald Trump supporters was somehow orchestrated by federal agents, echoing a pervasive conspiracy theory on the far right.

Why am I the only person on this stage at least who can say that Jan. 6 now does look like it was an inside job? Ramaswamy asked at the GOP presidential debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The claim from the conspiracy-curious candidate drew no pushback from the debate moderators or his fellow presidential candidates.

Many Republicans have sought to obfuscate the harrowing events that took place on Jan. 6, 2021, falsely claiming that the people who stormed the Capitol building were peaceful, that they were secretly leftists, or that they were undercover FBI agents.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Last month, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) even suggested that federal agents disguised themselves as Trump supporters on Jan. 6. He later walked back his comments when pressed by HuffPost reporter Arthur Delaney.

The theory that federal agents were somehow in on the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was refuted by FBI Director Chris Wray at a hearing before Congress last month.

If somebody is asking or suggesting whether the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6 was part of some operation orchestrated by FBI sources or FBI agents or both, the answer is emphatically not, Wray said.