Rumble, the video hosting platform popular among the far-right, was allegedly hit with a cyberattack that spurred countless theories on who is to blame.
Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski responded to complaints that the platform was down on Monday by suggesting the attack could be linked to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“I can confirm that this attack has been unprecedented and has been happening since this weekend,” Pavlovski wrote. “I also suspect it is political, coming from activists and/or organizations who want to censor our creators, and related to J6 videos being posted on Rumble.”
Last month, House Republicans began to release thousands of hours of surveillance video from the day of the failed insurrection. Since then, supporters of former President Donald Trump, many of whom believe that Jan. 6 was an “inside job,” have attempted to claim that sections of the footage are proof of the conspiracy.
The apparent DDoS attack against Rumble reportedly came shortly after new bodycam video from Capitol Police was posted to the site by the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, leading many to believe that attempts were being made to hide the footage.
But while Pavlovski has theorized that the attack may be linked to political groups, users of Rumble are blaming anyone and everyone, including the federal government.
“I wonder if it’s a 3 letter agency?” one user said.
Another user argued that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to the U.S. could be part of a sinister plot to bring down Rumble.
“Would that be political and associated with China? After Xi just came to visit California?” the user asked. “Is it possible that states like California are teaming up with private companies, the federal government and a foreign country to attack their political enemies at home?”
Conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer likewise pointed to China when discussing the issue.
“The Biden White House has close family ties to the CCP military-industrial complex, which is capable of carrying out such a cyber attack,” an article on Loomer’s blog stated.
Podcast host Tim Pool hysterically responded to the news with one word: “War.”
The unsophisticated but effective attack was also seen by some as proof that the government was preparing to enact a global internet shutdown.
“Has me very nervous that today was a trial run for a major internet outage in 2024,” a user said.
Given Rumble’s reputation, the attack could very well be politically motivated. But no evidence suggests that the issue was linked to a clandestine plan to censor Jan. 6 footage.
Since the Capitol riot, Trump supporters have attempted to blame the FBI, antifa, Ukraine, and countless others for the day’s violence. The conspiracy theories, often contradictory, suggest that all of those charged and imprisoned for committing acts of violence at the riot are innocent political prisoners, while simultaneously blaming all said violence on outside actors.
