In a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, Donald Trump claimed that the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol and the so-called right-wing militia’s plan to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 were “fakes.” Government conspiracy.
“Their sting on Gretchen Whitmer is fake, like those who instigated January 6,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s a fake deal, fake. It’s a fake deal.”
“In my opinion, Gretchen Whitmer is less of a danger than anyone sitting in this room right now,” Mr Trump added.
Conspirators tried to kidnap the Michigan governor and discussed stranding her on a boat or killing her, according to Michigan prosecutors.
Four of the alleged masterminds briefly escaped prosecution in April, when two were acquitted and the remaining defendants were acquitted.
In June, a federal judge order a new trial for the two accused conspirators.
The government’s case against the alleged co-conspirators did rely in part on the testimony of federal informants, with prominent conservatives and defense attorneys for the alleged militia arguing that they were weekend fighters lured by the government into conspiracies they never took seriously.
As for Jan. 6, the former president and many other prominent Republican media and political figures claimed that an Arizona man named Ray Epps was a government informant who encouraged thugs to storm the Capitol.
On Jan. 6, Pennsylvania barber Ryan Samsel, who was filmed whispering with Mr. Epps, told the FBI that Mr. Epps actually encouraged him. don’t want attack the police.
“He came up to me and said, ‘Man’ – his whole sentence was, ‘Relax, the cops are doing their jobs,'” Mr Samsell said, according to the obtained recording New York Times.
Mr Epps has denied being a federal informant and cooperating with the January 6 committee.
