Republicans blast Jan 6 as possible ‘Fedsurrection’

Two of Donald Trump’s most vocal supporters in Congress are seeking answers from the FBI and attorney general

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) theorized on the anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riot that the federal government may have played an active role in the day’s events.

During a Thursday press conference, the two firebrand Republicans once again rejected Democrats referring to the Capitol riot as an “insurrection,” a specific crime no one jailed for January 6 is currently facing. 

“We know January 6 last year wasn’t an insurrection. No one has been charged with insurrection. No one has been charged with treason, but it very well may have been a Fedsurrection,” Gaetz told reporters. 

Gaetz made clear he and Greene, who was recently suspended from Twitter, were not there to “celebrate” the events of January 6, but to hopefully “expose the truth.”

GAETZ: “Congresswoman Greene and I are not here to celebrate January 6th. We are not here to obsess about it, but we are here to expose the truth, to ask key questions…January 6th last year wasn’t an insurrection…but it very well may have been a fedsurrection.” pic.twitter.com/TyxKvLVt1m

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 6, 2022

The truth, according to the lawmakers, may lead straight back to the FBI. “Director Wray was asked under oath before the Congress about the federal assets and agents that were on the ground on January 6th, and he wouldn’t provide clear answers,” Gaetz said.

Tucker Carlson Calling Out Sen @tedcruz & The GOP For Repeating The Talking Points Of AG Garland About January 6th & Ignoring The Ray Epps Story

“What the hell is going on here? You’re making us think that maybe the Republican Party is as worthless as we suspected it was.” pic.twitter.com/HYumHcOoRM

— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) January 6, 2022

Gaetz repeatedly referred to Ray Epps, an ex-Marine that some conservatives have theorized was an FBI plant, filmed goading people into entering the Capitol and crossing police barriers.

Read more

As evidence emerges of provocateurs inciting the Jan 6 Capitol riot, was an asset working on behalf of the FBI to stir up trouble?

A man who resembles Epps could be seen in videos recommending protesters go into the Capitol, though he’s not always met with a warm welcome, with some even referring to him as a “fed” at one point.

Epps has refused to answer questions about his involvement in the Capitol riot or conspiracy theories around his involvement with the FBI, telling Daily Mail last summer when they confronted him at in Arizona to “get off my property.” 

Gaetz claims Epps’ potential involvement in instigating the riot can be partly backed up by his name allegedly being removed last year from the FBI’s Capitol Violence Most Wanted list. “Attorney General Garland was asked in the judiciary committee by my colleague Thomas Massie about Ray Epps. He could have cleared up that circumstance and resolved all of these questions, but he declined to do so,” Gaetz said.

In a Thursday interview with journalist Brendan Gutenschwager, Gaetz also mentioned Epps as one of multiple potential “instigators” on January 6. 

“I’m starting to think this was less of an insurrection and more of a fedsurection” Matt Gaetz says of the January 6th Capitol riot at a press conference with Marjorie Taylor Greene one year later #January6th pic.twitter.com/Lk3lWrGr5j

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) January 6, 2022

Greene also referred to Epps when speaking, recalling a recent visit to jailed Capitol rioters in Washington DC. 

“When I went through the DC jail, I’ll tell you who I did not see. I did not see Ray Epps,” she said.


READ MORE: White House reveals whether Biden wants DOJ to charge Trump with ‘insurrection’

Gaetz and Greene also performed a march from the White House to the Capitol to mark the one year anniversary of the Capitol riot. In a Thursday morning interview on Steve Bannon’s podcast, Gaetz said he and others are not “ashamed” of their efforts on January 6. 

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White House reveals whether Biden wants DOJ to charge Trump with ‘insurrection’

President Biden’s reference to January 6 as an ‘armed insurrection’ raised questions about Justice Department charges

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has attempted to explain why President Joe Biden refers to the Capitol riot as an “insurrection,” a crime no individual, including former President Donald Trump, has been charged with.

Biden referred to January 6 as an “armed insurrection” in his Thursday morning address. He also apparently accused Trump of having “rallied” his supporters to “attack” by continuing to push the theory that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.

When asked whether Biden has recommended that charge be used against the approximately 700 rioters in custody awaiting trial – none of which have been charged with “armed insurrection” – Psaki appeared to downplay Biden’s remark. 

Biden only wants the “Justice Department and attorney general to act independently,” Psaki said. “He was not making a judgement about or a direction of what the Justice Department should do or how they should behave or act, and I don’t think the Justice Department or the attorney general see that he did either,” she added. 

REPORTER TO PSAKI: Biden called Jan 6 and “armed insurrection” … No one has been charged for insurrection, which is a specific crime. Does the President want the Justice Department to press charges of insurrection against Trump or anyone else?”

pic.twitter.com/XJiwgM9Hv0

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 6, 2022

The January 6 riot has been referred to as an insurrection by numerous media outlets and politicians, but some have questioned whether the term actually fits. Out of all the wide array of charges rioters are facing, insurrection – defined as a violent uprising against a government – is not one of the charges. 

On the one year anniversary of the Capitol riot, numerous media pundits found themselves at odds over whether the riot could even be referred to as an insurrection if the Justice Department is not officially charging individuals with that specific crime. 

So Fox has uttered “Insurrection” the same number of times as the DOJ has issued indictments for that crime.

Referring to 1/6 as an “Insurrection” when the Democrat-led DOJ has failed to charge *even a single person with that crime* is not a source of pride for a media outlet. https://t.co/GI3G84lmHW

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 6, 2022

In his speech on Thursday, Biden did not specifically refer to Trump by name, but he made it clear that he blames the former president for the incident at the Capitol.

When asked why Biden did not name Trump specifically, Psaki directly blamed Trump for January 6 and also referred to it as an “insurrection.” 

“There is only one president in the history of this country who has fomented an insurrection which promoted the seizing of our Capitol,” she said.

Question: Why did you make the decision not to call him out by name?
Psaki: There is only one President in the history of this country that fomented an insurrection which prompted the seizing of our nation’s Capitol. I think everybody knew who he was referring to pic.twitter.com/o9ji1kY7ri

— Acyn (@Acyn) January 6, 2022