Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
A report from a conservative media has prompted Trump to demand names.
A report from a conservative media has prompted Trump to demand names.
What is happening?
U.S. President Donald Trump is once again challenging the official narrative of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot—this time accusing the FBI of having helped incite the violence.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed the agency played a direct role in the chaos that unfolded that day.
274 undercover agents?
Trump said it had been “revealed” that 274 FBI agents were secretly embedded in the crowd before and during the riot, calling it a breach of “all rules, guidelines, protocols, and standards.”
According to him, these agents likely acted as “provocateurs and rioters,” helping to fuel the unrest.
“I want names”
In his post, Trump called for full disclosure, writing: “I want to know who every one of these so-called ‘agents’ are and what they were doing on that now ‘historic’ day.”
He offered no evidence or source for the claim himself, but the accusation quickly gained traction online.
Blaze Media report sparks the accusation
Two days earlier, conservative outlet Blaze Media ran a story citing a senior congressional source who claimed the FBI had deployed 274 plainclothes agents into the January 6 crowd.
The report directly contradicted earlier FBI statements that denied the use of undercover operatives that day.
Former FBI Director under fire
Trump’s post directly targeted then-FBI Director Christopher Wray, accusing him of lying to Congress and the American people about the FBI’s presence during the riot.
Wray, appointed by Trump himself in 2017, had previously denied that agents had infiltrated the crowd or incited violence.
Wray’s 2023 testimony
In 2023, Wray testified before a House committee investigating the events of January 6.
He categorically rejected the notion that FBI operatives orchestrated the violence, saying: “If you’re asking whether the violence was part of an operation by FBI agents or sources, the answer is a resounding no.”
Internal watchdog report backs the FBI
A Justice Department inspector general’s report from December of the previous year found no evidence of an FBI operation to embed agents in the crowd.
While 26 informants were present, the report stated that nearly none alerted the bureau beforehand and none were instructed to join the riot.
FBI officials push back
Anonymous sources within the FBI quickly rejected the Blaze Media report, speaking to NBC News and Fox News.
They reiterated that agents only entered the scene after the violence began—at the request of Capitol Police—and were there to help restore order, not provoke it.
Trump-appointed FBI Director splits the difference
Kash Patel, a Trump ally and current FBI official, also disputed Trump’s timeline.
In interviews with Fox News and posts on X (formerly Twitter), he said agents only arrived after the riot had been declared.
Still, he agreed with Trump that it was improper to deploy them at all, blaming “corrupt leadership.”
Senator: “No evidence” of provocation
Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, who chaired a Senate committee that investigated the riot, condemned Trump’s claim as “appalling.”
Speaking to CBS News, she stressed that FBI agents were called in for support only after violence broke out.
“We needed help,” she said bluntly.
Trump calls for Wray investigation
Despite denials from current and former FBI officials, Trump called for the Justice Department to investigate Wray.
“I would think they’re going to,” he told NBC News, insisting the new report about FBI agents proves misconduct.
He compared Wray’s case to James Comey’s, who was recently indicted.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
