Newly released court documents indicate that the FBI saw evidence on social media that violent Trumpist insurrectionists were planning "a revolution" leading up to their riot at the Capitol on January 6. FBI agent Patricia Norden acknowledged in February that unhinged supporters of their fascist Dear Leader were talking about bringing guns to the Capitol to start a revolution:
"A review of open source and social media posts leading up to and during the event indicates that individuals participating on the 'Stop the Steal,' rally were angered about the results of the 2020 presidential election and felt that Joseph Biden had unlawfully been declared 'President-Elect,'" said the report by FBI Special Agent Patricia Norden. "Users in multiple online groups and platforms discussed traveling to the Capitol armed or making plans to start a 'revolution' on that day.
Norden cited the posts as part of the FBI's justification for opening an investigation into former NYPD officer Thomas Webster, who was indicted in March on seven counts after he admitted attacking a Capitol police officer on Jan. 6. Webster, who has pleaded not guilty, says he was struck first; a federal prosecutor said Webster displayed "pure rage" befitting a "junkyard dog." Video of the alleged assault was released Thursday." (our emphasis)
Since January 6, a number of members of right-wing fanatical groups like the 3 Percenters, the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers have been charged with conspiracy, reflecting the coordination that went on among them prior to the riot.
A disturbing aspect of this story is that the evidence brought to court by Agent Norden contradicts testimony by FBI Director Christopher Wray, who told Congress that the FBI lacked "actionable intelligence" that hundreds of rioters would engage in armed insurrection at the Capitol, at the urging of their Dear Leader. In the same testimony, Wray split hairs when trying to distinguish between "aspirational versus intentional" statements made by the extremists.
(photo: Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty)
