Senator Mike Lee of Utah has been quietly distancing himself from a conspiracy theory he previously embraced, which suggested that federal agents disguised as Trump supporters were responsible for the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Despite walking back from the theory, he has not deleted his social media posts that sought to deflect blame for the riot away from Trump supporters.
In response to the release of security camera footage from inside the Capitol, Lee had initially promoted false claims about the involvement of federal agents in the violence, including sharing a clip that purported to show a man in a red MAGA hat flashing a badge at police officers inside the Capitol. However, the person in the video clip was later identified as Kevin Lyons, a convicted individual holding a vape, not a badge.
During a recent interview, Lee commented that Lyons was probably not a federal agent due to his incarceration.
Historically, Senator Lee had played a prominent role in former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, including endorsing the idea of having state legislators endorse competing efforts for Trump. He also received campaign donations from individuals involved in plotting to become false electors to overturn the election.
As of now, Lee has not deleted his posts supporting the conspiracy theory and has not addressed questions about his intentions to recant his online statements. The Senator’s office did not respond to inquiries about these issues.
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune.
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