The FBI Says There's No Evidence Of Antifa Involvement In The Capitol Mob

Some prominent right-wing figures have tried to push the conspiracy that antifa was behind Wednesday’s violent insurrection at the Capitol.

The FBI says there's no evidence antifa played any role in the deadly mob that stormed the Capitol on Wednesday.

"We have no indication of that, at this time," said FBI Assistant Director Steven D'Antuono said at a Friday press briefing.

A day earlier, Michael Sherwin, the acting US attorney for the District of Columbia, also said investigators had not seen evidence of antifa involvement.

Their comments come after Trump supporters such as Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and conservative media spread false claims that Antifa instigated the violence that left five people dead.

Antifa is a loose collection of "anti-fascist" activists that attend protests and often clash with far-right groups. It has become a bogeyman on the right and is often the subject of false rumors and impersonation campaigns.

Speaking in the House Wednesday night after the attempted coup, Gaetz cited a Washington Times article that claimed a facial recognition company had identified two antifa members among the crowd at the Capitol.

That story was removed by the outlet after BuzzFeed News reported that the facial recognition company said it was “outright false.”

The paper later published a corrected version that acknowledged the firm had identified "neo-Nazis and other extremists" — not antifa members.

Gaetz's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Additional reporting by Salvador Hernandez.

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