Millions of Americans watched the events in Washington unfold on television. The police officers testified. What happened in the criminal proceedings was detailed in the open court.
The public's understanding of what actually happened during the most sustained attack on the seat of American democracy since the War of 1812 is muddyed by the hoaxes, conspiracy theories and attempts to rewrite history.
The false statements about the insurrection aim to distract from the fact that Donald Trump lost the election.
Spread by politicians, broadcast by cable news pundits and amplified by social media, the falsehoods are a stark reminder of how many Americans may no longer trust their own institutions or their own eyes.
An analysis of online content by media intelligence firm Zignal Labs on behalf of The Associated Press shows that there are several different conspiracy theories. The baseless claim that the FBI operatives were behind the rioters went viral first, only to be overtaken by other false claims. The rioters were framed for crimes that never happened, according to other theories.
According to a Michigan State University professor, conspiracy theories have been around for a long time. They can become dangerous if they lead people to distrust democracy or to embrace violence.
It will be harder to have conversations if we don't operate from the same foundation of facts. It will fuel more divisions in our country, and I think that's the legacy of the misinformation we're seeing right now.
Some of the top lies about the Capitol riot have been spread.
The RioTERS were not Trump supporters.
Many of the people who came to the Capitol on January 6 have said that they did so to help the president.
The FBI operatives or anti-fascist movement are suggested to be the culprits.
Laura Ingraham said on her Fox News show that the Capitol was under siege by people who were antithetical to the "Make America Great Again" slogan. There are some reports that anti-fascists may have been sprinkled throughout the crowd.
On the next day, she acknowledged the inaccuracy when she posted a link to a story debunking the claim.
Tucker Carlson has spread the idea that the FBI was behind the riot. The indictments of some January 6 suspects mention unindicted co-conspirators, which is a common legal term that only refers to suspects who haven't been charged.
Carlson claimed on his show that they were FBI operatives.
Carlson is the main driver of the idea that agents of the government carried out the attack. Carlson released a documentary series about the insurrection.
The theories have been spread by members of Congress.
Gaetz said that some of the people who broke into the Capitol were not Trump supporters, but members of the violent terrorist group antiFA.
The people for Carlson and Gaetz say they stand by their claims.
The rioters are who they said they were.
A recently elected state lawmaker from West Virginia who was a Trump supporter resigned after his arrest. Evans streamed video of himself entering the Capitol.
Evans said on the video that they were making an announcement that if Pence betrayed them, they would storming the building. We are in, the door is cracked! The Capitol has a person in it. The Senate certified the election victory of Democrat Joe Biden. Despite Trump's pleas, Pence went ahead with the transfer of power.
FBI Director Christopher Wray was asked if there was any reason to believe the insurrection was organized by fake Trump protesters.
The man who was appointed by Trump said there was no evidence of that.
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The RioTERS weren't VIOLENT.
Dozens of police officers were injured. One Capitol Police officer who was attacked and assault with bear spray died a day later of natural causes.
Michael Fanone, a former Metropolitan Police officer, said he was grabbed, beaten, tased, and called a traitor when he rushed to the scene. He said he had children. He was later told he had suffered a heart attack. Fanone resigned from the department.
Senators fled the Senate chamber under armed protection. They rifled through the desks, yelling, "Where are they?" Nancy Pelosi's staff hid under desks in her office as rioters called her name.
Republican politicians have described the insurrection differently.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R- Wiss., said on the show that he didn't think it was an insurrection.
The protest was peaceful, except for a group of people that whipped the crowd and broke into the Capitol.
Johnson doesn't want the violent actions of a few to be used to impugn all.
After watching video footage of rioters walking through the Capitol, Rep. Andrew Clyde said it resembled a normal tourist visit. The House doors were barricaded in an attempt to keep the rioters out.
The insurrection was called a display of spirit and faith by Trump.
The rioters caused an estimated 1.5 million dollars in damage. Someone put up a gallows outside the Capitol.
The notion that this was a tourist event is despicable, according to Rep. Liz Cheney. I will not be part of whitewashing what happened on January 6. Nobody should be involved in it. People should be held accountable.
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Trump didn't bother the Romans.
Trump may want to minimize his involvement, but he spent months sounding a constant drumbeat of conspiracy theory and grievance, urging his followers to fight to return him to power.
On December 19th, 2020, Trump said that there would be a big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, it will be wild!
Immediately before the mob descended on the Capitol, Donald Trump spoke to his supporters, telling them they had been cheated in the election and that they should not have supported him.
At one point, Trump urged his supporters to make their voices heard. The rest of his speech was hostile.
We fight. He told those who would break into the Capitol to fight like hell. If you don't fight, you won't have a country anymore.
Trump said he had nothing to do with the riot.
In December, Trump said on Fox News that his words and speech were calming.
According to a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, nearly two-thirds of Americans think Trump is to blame for the Capitol breach.
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According to a rumor, Ashli BABBITT was killed by an officer working for Democrats.
A lieutenant in the Capitol Police force shot and killed Babbitt as she and others tried to enter the Speaker's Lobby.
The 35-year-old Air Force veteran was not armed. The officer was cleared of wrongdoing.
The Capitol Police Department protects members of Congress, employees, the public and Capitol facilities. The officer was not assigned to a lawmaker.
The officer was being shielded from accountability because Trump claimed he was the head of security for a high official. He misstated the location of the shooting.
Who is the person who shot a military woman in the head? On Fox News, Trump asked.
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The January. Some of the suspects are political prisoners.
They are not, despite assertions from members of Congress.
In November, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said that the defendants were political prisoners of war. She said that she had visited some people in jail who were unhappy with the food, medical care and re-education they were receiving.
The Justice Department was harassing peaceful patriots by investigating their involvement in the insurrection, according to Rep. Paul Gosar.
It is wrong to argue that the suspects are being held as political prisoners because they have complained about their time in jail. The suspects in custody are given the same access to food and medical care as other inmates.
Jacob Chansley, known as the QAnon Shaman, was given organic food in his jail cell after he complained about the food options.
