Supporters of President Donald Trump are attempting to blame antifa for the violence and destruction they caused on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
The president’s followers were in the nation’s capital to attend the “Save America Rally” that they conspiratorially believed would end with Trump securing a second term.
Angered that their fantasy failed to come to fruition, Trump’s base opted to storm the U.S. Capitol building where legislators were counting the Electoral College votes.
Pastor Mark Burns, the pro-Trump minister who just last month spread false claims about the president pardoning WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, blamed far-left agitators for the violence despite no evidence existing to support such allegations.
“I’m here in DC and I’m sadden [sic] and Angry at #Antifa for the Capital Attack,” Burns tweeted.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton likewise amplified viral claims that a “bus load” of “Antifa thugs” had been sent in to stir up violence. Conservatives have repeatedly spread and fallen for hoax stories regarding supposed invasions of antifa members across the country.
Attorney L. Lin Wood, who has spread countless debunked conspiracy theories regarding widespread voter fraud as part of failed attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election for Trump, even accused a prominent QAnon supporter of being antifa.
In reality, the man pictured, who is known online as the “Shaman,” has appeared at countless Trump rallies and has been interviewed by the media on numerous occasions.
Wood, who just recently called for Vice President Mike Pence to be executed by firing squad, defended his conspiracy by claiming that all Trump supporters are peaceful.
The Twitter account Trump Alert, which follows the Twitter activity of members of the president’s family, also noted that Eric Trump liked a tweet accusing the Shaman of being antifa as well.
Trump supporters online also tried to accuse a man seen standing next to the Shaman of being antifa due to his tattoos.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), who was instrumental in spreading the conspiracy theory that members of the U.S. Army were killed by the CIA while raiding a secret server conducting election fraud in Germany, claimed that the man had a Communist tattoo on his hand.
“Please people; no violence. That only hurts our cause,” Gohmert tweeted. “Those leading the charge like the guy in yellow with the communist hammer & sickle tattoo: stopping the violence applies to you too.”
In reality, the tattoo appeared to actually be a symbol from a 2012 video game known as “Dishonored.”
“There are claims that the bearded guy in this photo inside the Capitol is Antifa because of his hand tattoo,” Alistair Coleman said. “It’s the Outsider’s Mark from the 2012 video game Dishonored. He’s a gamer.”
Trump supporters also circulated fake screenshots and a fake antifa flyer that has been online since at least 2017 purporting to prove that left-wing activists had planned to show up to the event.
Trump supporters’ actions ultimately led to multiple arrests as well as the death of one woman, who was shot while attempting to breach the Senate chambers.
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