During the fourth GOP presidential primary debate on Wednesday, Republican contender Vivek Ramaswamy expressed support for a range of far-right conspiracy theories, even speculating that the attack on the Capitol on January 6 was an “inside job.”
Ramaswamy asked, “Why am I the only individual on this stage, at least, who can state that Jan. 6 now does look like it had been an inside job?” before going on to mention other subjects that were well-liked in conspiracy theorist communities.
“That the government told lies to us for 20 years regarding Saudi Arabia‘s involvement in 9/11? That the famous replacement theory is not some grand right-wing conspiracy theory, yet a basic statement of the Democratic Party’s platform? That the 2020 election was stolen by Big Tech?”
With opponents claiming that the attack on the Capitol in 2021 was a “false flag” incident, the conspiracy theory surrounding the Capitol riots in particular gained traction after rioter Ray Epps was accused of being a government informant or agent without providing any supporting evidence.
Concerning the riot on January 6, over 1,200 defendants have been charged, and over 400 of them have received prison sentences. Although identified, more than a thousand other Jan. 6 participants remain unarrested.
Following up on his recent conspiracy theories regarding the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Ramaswamy made remarks regarding January 6. Ramaswamy stated that he was seeking “the truth about 9/11” in an August article that appeared in The Atlantic.
“How many police officers and federal agents were on the planes that struck the Twin Towers?” is a valid question, in my opinion. The answer may be 0. For all I know, it could very well be zero. I don’t see any reason to believe it wasn’t zero. However, if we’re conducting a thorough analysis of what transpired on 9/11, we have a 9/11 commission. Without a doubt, the public should be able to learn the answer to that, he stated in the interview with The Atlantic.
Later on, Ramaswamy defended the comments. He stated, “It is critical to have a government that is trustworthy, that people can rely on, and that people can rely on in return.”
Not all Republican politicians have been endorsing a conspiracy theory about January 6 in the last few weeks, including Ramaswamy.
In a post published on X last month, Senator Mike Lee of Utah asserted that there were “secretly federal agents disguised as MAGA.”
Lee tweeted, “I’m eager to question FBI Director Christopher Wray about this at our next oversight hearing.”
Regarding the man Lee mentioned in the post, he is a Trump sympathizer presently incarcerated in federal prison for four years due to charges stemming from January 6.