For many Americans, it is “likely” or even “definite” that the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 was planned by the FBI.
Washington DC – Results of a survey by Washington Post in collaboration with the University of Maryland suggest that even as the US presidential election year begins, many Americans continue to cling to conspiracy narratives about the attack on the US Capitol on January 6th. Despite a congressional investigation and over 725 completed cases against the participants in the storming of the Capitol in Washington, many respondents see responsibility for the storming of the Capitol as lying with a US authority.
Storming of the Capitol – Many Americans believe the FBI is involved
According to the survey, nearly 11 percent of respondents believe there is “solid evidence” that FBI agents organized and facilitated the Jan. 6 attack. Another 13 percent of those surveyed would only “suspect” that the FBI was involved in the storming of the Capitol. Overall, almost a quarter of those surveyed believe that the FBI is involved.
This narrative is particularly widespread among Republican Party supporters. 34 percent of republican stated that such claims were “definitely” or “probably” correct. 44 percent of people who voted for Trump in the last election said the FBI helped instigate the attack. Among Democratic supporters it was only 13 percent. The FBI is the central security agency of the USA. It is both a law enforcement agency and a domestic secret service.
The results of the survey also suggest that people's media consumption has a major influence on their assessment of the storming of the Capitol. Accordingly, 39 percent of Americans had the Fox News as their main news source, stated that the FBI was involved in organizing the attack on January 6th. In comparison, only 16 percent of viewers of CNN or MSNBC said they believed the FBI was involved. For Americans who mainly get their news from ABC, CBS or NBC, the figure was 13 percent.
Attack on the US Capitol – Operation organized by the FBI was “ridiculous”
On January 6, around 700 defendants pleaded guilty in court to federal crimes ranging from trespassing to violent attacks on police. An additional 130 people were convicted. Donald Trump is accused of inciting his supporters in a speech to march on the Capitol and prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 election results. In numerous hearings and trials, lawyers for the defendants, including conspiracy ideologist Jacob Chansley known as the “QAnon Shaman” and former Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, have blamed Trump for the attack.
FBI Director Christopher Asher Wray has denied allegations of involvement in the storming of the US Capitol. In a House hearing in July, he stressed that the idea that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was an FBI-organized operation was ridiculous. (jek)
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