January 1, FBI Agents Unprepared Amid Capitol Chaos

Wyatt’s Take

• Hundreds of FBI agents sent to Capitol on January 6
• Many agents felt confused and unprepared
• Lawmakers question FBI transparency and political motives

The FBI sent 274 agents to the Capitol on January 6, 2021. An after-action report shows many of those agents felt they didn’t have clear orders and lacked proper gear for riot control.

The report, given to Congress by FBI Director Kash Patel, included agents saying they were told to stand behind local police but got no further direction.

“The initial response of having us again respond to a riot by ‘standing the line’ did not seem appropriate because we do not have the gear, equipment, or training for riot control.”

Another agent shared.

“When asked specifically what they were supposed to do or who to check in with, they were told simply that management said to go there and there was no answer… FBI agents do not have training for, nor equipment for, riot control.”

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) wants to know why Congress is only now learning about the sheer number of FBI agents at the Capitol. He is also asking if courts were told, and if those agents were called in for testimony during investigations.

There were at least 26 FBI informants in DC that day, including some who broke laws. The report also notes some agents felt the cases tied to January 6 had political motives.

One said people in their community questioned how riots in 2020 were handled so differently from January 6.

“We were once an apolitical organization, but I no longer see us as looking from the ground up. We have been used as pawns in a political war, and FBI leadership fell into the trap and has allowed it to happen. We are supposed to call balls and strikes, regardless of political pressure, now we can’t even be trusted to be on the field.”

Another FBI agent wrote.

“The actions on January 6, 2021 were absolutely despicable and unacceptable in a civilized society. What is even more unacceptable was the hypocrisy displayed by the FBI and its leadership in their attempt to go after those involved in the Capitol Riots, while we as agents, watched cities burn across America during the summer of 2020.”

Stories like this show why folks in the heartland don’t trust Washington’s big institutions.

Want more truth-telling for the working class? Stay tuned.

Wyatt Matters

Middle Americans want fairness and honesty from federal agencies. When those in power hide details or play politics, it chips away at trust for hardworking families.

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