It’s been over three years since the January 6 riots, a period marked by significant legal repercussions for Donald Trump, the former president and now presumptive Republican presidential candidate. Since 2021, thousands of rioters have been charged, convicted and sentenced for their involvement in what stands as one of the darkest chapters in American history. As the November general election approaches, the events of January 6 at the Capitol continue to capture public attention.
Trump denying direct involvement
Donald Trump has been consistently denying claims of his direct involvement in the January 6 Capitol riots, despite widespread accusations from millions of Americans. These accusations follow after his speech at a rally in front of the Capitol, which was attended by tens of thousands from across the nation. But some prominent figures like Representative Clay Higgins, a Republican from Louisiana, suggest that “unpredictable factors” played a role in what is seen as an assault on American democracy.
Higgins wild claims
As a congressman known for his extreme right views, who is currently serving his fourth term, has stirred controversy with several bold statements. He believes that on January 6, 2021, mysterious “ghost buses” transported agent provocateurs to the Capitol to cause the riot. He’s also accused the federal government of launching a “civil war” against Texas and has described the legal actions against ex-President Donald J. Trump over mishandling secret documents as an attack by those in power.
More powerful roles in the House
However, these views haven’t pushed him to the outskirts of his party. Instead, the Republicans in the House have given him a more prominent role. He’s been named the head of the subcommittee overseeing border enforcement. On top of that, Speaker Mike Johnson has chosen him as one of the 11 impeachment managers. This group is responsible for trying to impeach the homeland security secretary, with the trial in the Senate happening soon.
Accusing federal agents
During a recent appearance on the “Implicit Bias” podcast, the congressman shared his views in great detail. He explained how, after extensive investigation and looking at evidence only he seems to have access to, he believes that federal law enforcement set up supporters of Trump to storm the Capitol on January 6th. He spun an outlandish story connecting the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to what he claims was a plot by the government. According to him, the government snuck into online forums that support Trump, pushing them to start a riot. He also claimed, without any real proof, that agents who were pretending to be fans of Trump went to Washington on January 6 and fooled Trump’s followers into causing chaos and violence.
“The whole thing,” Mr. Higgins said, “was a nefarious agenda to entrap MAGA Americans.”
Other conspiracy theories
The congressman from Louisiana has often shared conspiracy theories. This time he covered many of them at once. For example, he found it “very suspicious” how President Biden managed to surpass Trump in key swing states during the vote count of the presidential election. Reflecting on the mood of Trump’s supporters before January 6, he said, “We were witnessing the death of our republic.”
FBI informants have been part of the crowd
Regarding the presence of FBI informants among the crowd, it’s well-established that some were there among the thousands. However, this doesn’t imply that the federal government planned the attack. In fact, it more likely indicates a failure on the FBI’s part to leverage its insiders within extremist groups to foresee the impending attack. Steven M. D’Antuono, who led the FBI’s Washington field office, told the House Judiciary Committee he thinks a “handful” of people in the crowd might have been informants for the FBI in the past. However, he clarified that they weren’t directed by the FBI to be there that day.
The “ghost buses”
Higgins said his claims of “ghost buses” came from a whistle-blower who said he saw two white tour buses at Union Station early in the morning on Jan. 6, which later disappeared. Tour buses carrying visitors to Washington are a nearly omnipresent sight in the area, especially on days when large events — such as Trump’s rally on the Ellipse on Jan. 6 — are planned.
Read also: Ex-Georgia Senator Gingrich blames Florida GOP Representative for creating chaos in the House
“We don’t know what happened to them,” Higgins said ominously during the podcast. “I don’t run the F.B.I., man.”
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