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Did Pelosi Prevent National Guard from Responding to Capitol Attack?
From Jake Angeli to secret infiltration, Snopes fact-checked these rumors and myths about the deadly riot.
by Brandon Echter , July 27, 2021
Image courtesy of Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
On Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress convened 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 by storming the U.S. Capitol.
While details of what really happened slowly trickled out on social media, misinformation filled the gap. The most common hoaxes and questions related to the deadly attack are listed below — all fact-checked by the Snopes newsroom.
Hear a rumor and want us to look into it? Reach out.
By Brandon Echter
Were Pro-Trump Mobs Storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 Actually Antifa?
Jan. 6, 2021
There was no evidence anyone but a mob of Trump supporters stormed Capitol grounds.
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Did Man at Capitol Riot Die After Accidentally Tasing Himself?
Jan. 10, 2021
Five persons died in conjunction with the Capitol riot, but some reports surrounding their death ...
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Did Members of Congress Provide 'Reconnaissance Tours' Before Capitol Riots?
Jan. 13, 2021
New Jersey Representative Mikie Sherrill made the assertion on a Facebook Live broadcast and has ...
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Was Chuck Norris at the Capitol Riot?
Jan. 12, 2021
These photographs are real, but this person is not Chuck Norris.
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Did Woman Who Died at Capitol Riot Carry a 'Don't Tread on Me' Flag?
Jan. 12, 2021
Macabre online speculation surrounded the death of Georgia resident Rosanne Boyland during the J ...
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Was Capitol Rioter in Horns and Furs an Antifa Instigator Who Took Part in BLM Protests?
Jan. 7, 2021
Conspiracy theorists jumped into action when the unmistakable figure of Trump supporter and QAno ...
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Were Antifa Members Identified at Capitol Riot with Facial Recognition Software?
Jan. 7, 2021
False rumors on social media were given the appearance of credibility when they were rehashed in ...
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Were Panic Buttons Removed From Democratic Lawmaker's Office Prior to Insurrection?
Jan. 14, 2021
The circumstances under which the buttons were allegedly "torn out" of U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley ...
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Did Rep. Boebert Tweet About Speaker Pelosi's Location During Capitol Riot?
Jan. 11, 2021
As rioters broke into the U.S. Capitol. Boebert tweeted: "The Speaker has been removed from the ...
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Did 'The Simpsons' Predict Pro-Trump Horned Rioter Jake Angeli?
Jan. 7, 2021
Either way, we love the character name "Groundskeeper Willie."
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Did Ben Shapiro Say 'Every Regular Human' Owns Zip Ties After US Capitol Riot?
Jan. 15, 2021
Some members of the mob that attacked the Capitol were spotted wielding plastic zip cuffs.
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Did Video Show Capitol Police Waving in Rioters on Jan. 6?
July 7, 2022
A second video put to bed the rumor that a police officer was telling Trump supporters to disreg ...
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Is 'Stop the Steal' Founder Ali Alexander Testifying at House Jan. 6 Panel Hearing?
June 27, 2022
Hours after the U.S. House Jan. 6 panel announced a surprise hearing, we looked into a message o ...
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What Happens If Trump Goes on Trial Over Jan. 6?
June 22, 2022
Will prosecutors take the unprecedented and explosive step of criminally prosecuting a former U. ...
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Did Trump Defense Secretary 'Disarm' DC National Guard Before Insurrection?
Feb. 4, 2021
The claim stemmed from a Jan. 4 memo authored by former acting Defense Security Christopher Miller.
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Does a Photo Show Rep. Boebert With Insurrectionists on US Capitol Steps?
Jan. 13, 2021
This is not the first controversy to surround U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert since the U.S. Capitol riot.
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Did US Rep. Kevin McCarthy Blame Trump for Capitol Riot?
Jan. 5, 2023
A statement McCarthy made in 2021 came up amid a Republican stalemate to elect a new House Speak ...
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No, the Jan. 6 Attack on the Capitol Wasn't an FBI False Flag
June 16, 2021
This isn't the first time right-leaning commentators have tried to blame a third party for the 2 ...
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Snopestionary: Defining the Congressional Meeting That Inspired Jan. 6 Capitol Siege
Jan. 5, 2022
Every four years, laws governing presidential elections require a formal ceremony where electora ...
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Where Congress Stands on the Jan. 6 Capitol Attack — and Its Consequences
Jan. 6, 2022
Together, Snopes and OnTheIssues analyzed three key votes in order to find out where every senat ...
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Did Bannon Say 'All Hell Is Going To Break Loose' Before Capitol Attack?
July 29, 2021
A number of false and fear-mongering theories about the 2020 election were pushed on Bannon's po ...
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Did Pelosi Prevent National Guard from Responding to Capitol Attack?
July 27, 2021
The Speaker of the House does not have control of the National Guard.
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