Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made controversial statements suggesting that the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot was not a true insurrection. He expressed concern for the treatment of those charged over their involvement in the attack and blamed both establishment parties for exploiting the incident for political gain. Kennedy’s campaign faced backlash for referring to Jan. 6 defendants as “activists” who had been “stripped of their Constitutional liberties” in a fundraising email, which was later attributed to an error by a new contractor. The candidate claimed to be listening to diverse viewpoints to make sense of the event and what followed.
Kennedy’s statements contained multiple falsehoods about the Capitol attack, including assertions that the protesters carried no weapons and had no plans or ability to seize control. However, multiple Trump supporters were armed on Jan. 6 with firearms, stun guns, knives, whips, hatchets, and pepper spray. Trump himself watched the riot unfold from the Oval Office, refusing to intervene even as the violence escalated. One police officer died as a result of the attack, and many others were injured. Kennedy’s comments were criticized by retired D.C. Metropolitan Police officer Michael Fanone, who was beaten and shocked with a stun gun while defending the Capitol.
Kennedy’s views aligned closely with those of former President Donald Trump, who has characterized the Jan. 6 defendants as “patriots” and criticized the prosecution efforts against them as politically motivated. Trump has vowed to pardon many of those charged in the attack if he is re-elected. Kennedy expressed concern about the prosecution of Jan. 6 defendants and promised to appoint a special counsel to investigate whether prosecutorial discretion was influenced by political motives. He accused both major political parties of using the incident to further divide the country, warning that democracy is at risk of being destroyed in the name of saving it.
Kennedy raised further controversy by claiming that President Joe Biden may be a bigger threat to democracy than Trump, citing his bans from social media during Biden’s tenure. However, Kennedy’s own social media ban was related to spreading misinformation about vaccines. Despite his opposition to Trump, Kennedy criticized the weaponization of government against him and expressed concerns about both parties destabilizing democracy. He suggested that extremes on both sides used the events of Jan. 6 to justify extreme measures in the name of protecting democracy, highlighting the deep divisions within American politics.
