This claim is false. Rumors, conspiracy theories, and misleading claims surround the events of January 6, 2021, but the January 6th riots were not “set up” by any single group. There is no fact based evidence to back this claim. Factcheck.org breaks down the events that precipitated the eventual mob activities: “The Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was the culmination of months of false claims about election fraud, including a litany recited by then-President Donald Trump in a speech shortly before a mob stormed the building.” Factcheck.org In the days following the mob activity in the U.S. Capitol there were claims of hoaxes and conspiracy theories all over the news media and social media. One of the primary claims was that the FBI was involved which was eventually proven to be false, as explained by Congress.gov “A Justice Department watchdog report… claims by far-right conspiracy theorists who falsely alleged that FBI operatives were secretly involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump’s supporters. The report by Justice Department inspector General Michael Horowitz concluded there was no evidence to suggest that undercover FBI agents participated in the attack on the U.S. capitol. The report also found that the FBI did not authorize any of its informants to enter the building or engage in violence.” Congress.gov The FBI was proven to have no prior knowledge or involvement with the attacks. Later on in the article it states that the FBI could have done more research on far right groups to prepare better for what was to come. They also say that the FBI accepted the watchdog’s recommendations of how to improve their process to be better prepared for future events. In a PBS news article they discuss conspiracy theories that have warped the public’s understanding of what actually happened that day. “Conspiracy theories have long lurked in the background of American history, said Dustin Carnahan, a Michigan State University professor who studies political misinformation. But they can become dangerous when they lead people to distrust democracy or to excuse or embrace violence.” PBS.org Massive amounts of misinformation and rumors about the attacks were spread all throughout the internet, and even among news outlets. This created huge confusion and uncertainty about what actually happened that day. Even four years later there is ongoing controversy surrounding what happened on January 6th, 2021. But no specific group is singularly responsible for setting up the event.
