Fact-Checking the Capitol Insurrection

13 Articles

From Jake Angeli to secret infiltration, Snopes fact-checks the rumors and myths around the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection.

  • Published 15 January 2021
Image via Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

On Jan. 6, as both houses of Congress met to count the electoral college votes and certify Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, a mob of pro-Trump rioters sought to overturn the results. They overwhelmed the Capitol Police and soon stormed the building.

While details of what really happened have been slowing coming out, misinformation has filled the gap. But don’t fret. Team Snopes is here to fact-check those claims. In this collection, you’ll find some of the most common hoaxes and questions answered.

Hear a rumor and want us to look into it? Reach out.

Were Pro-Trump Mobs Storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 Actually Antifa? There was no evidence anyone but a mob of Trump supporters stormed Capitol grounds.
  • Fact Check
    • False
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Capitol riot
Did Man at Capitol Riot Die After Accidentally Tasing Himself? Five persons died in conjunction with the Capitol riot, but some reports surrounding their deaths...
  • Fact Check
    • False
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Did Members of Congress Provide ‘Reconnaissance Tours’ Before Capitol Riots? New Jersey Representative Mikie Sherrill made the assertion on a Facebook Live broadcast and has...
  • Fact Check
    • Unproven
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Was Chuck Norris at the Capitol Riot? These photographs are real, but this person is not Chuck Norris.
  • Fact Check
    • False
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Did Woman Who Died at Capitol Riot Carry a ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ Flag? Macabre online speculation surrounded the death of Georgia resident Rosanne Boyland during the Jan. 6,...
  • Fact Check
    • Mostly True
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Does a Photo Show Rep. Boebert With Insurrectionists on US Capitol Steps? This is not the first controversy to surround U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert since the U.S....
  • Fact Check
    • Miscaptioned
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Was Capitol Rioter in Horns and Furs an Antifa Instigator Who Took Part in BLM Protests? Conspiracy theorists jumped into action when the unmistakable figure of Trump supporter and QAnon proponent...
  • Fact Check
    • Mostly False
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Were Antifa Members Identified at Capitol Riot with Facial Recognition Software? False rumors on social media were given the appearance of credibility when they were rehashed...
  • Fact Check
    • False
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Were Panic Buttons Removed From Democratic Lawmaker’s Office Prior to Insurrection? The circumstances under which the buttons were allegedly "torn out" of U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley's...
  • Fact Check
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Did Rep. Boebert Tweet About Speaker Pelosi’s Location During Capitol Riot? As rioters broke into the U.S. Capitol. Boebert tweeted: "The Speaker has been removed from...
  • Fact Check
    • Mixture
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Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict Pro-Trump Horned Rioter Jake Angeli? Either way, we love the character name "Groundskeeper Willie."
  • Fact Check
    • False
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Did Ben Shapiro Say ‘Every Regular Human’ Owns Zip Ties After US Capitol Riot? Some members of the mob that attacked the Capitol were spotted wielding plastic zip cuffs.
  • Fact Check
    • Correct Attribution
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Live Updates: Jan. 6 Capitol Riots Fact Checks Violence broke out and a mob breached the perimeter in Washington, D.C., as Congress began...
  • News
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