- Trump falsely claims 274 FBI agents were placed in the January 6 crowd.
- DOJ report found no evidence FBI agents orchestrated the Capitol riot.
- 1,400 arrests made and 1,000 convictions tied to the January 6 insurrection.
- Trump pardons over 1,200 individuals convicted for crimes on January 6.
Donald Trump has once again promoted a false claim regarding the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. In a post on Truth Social, the former president suggested that “Biden’s FBI” placed 274 agents among the crowd that stormed the Capitol that day. This statement contradicts official investigations and reports, which have debunked claims of federal infiltration or orchestration of the violent events. The issue of misinformation surrounding January 6 continues to stir controversy.
Trump’s Claim of FBI Infiltration
On October 12, 2025, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, suggesting that “Biden’s FBI” deployed 274 agents to the crowd on January 6. The former president claimed that this action, if true, would warrant apologies for those wrongly accused. His statement is the latest in a series of misleading claims about the Capitol riot, which Trump continues to promote despite numerous investigations refuting such allegations.
The FBI’s role on January 6 has been a topic of controversy, with many conspiracy theories suggesting that the agency orchestrated the violence. However, official reports from the Justice Department’s inspector general and the FBI itself have disproven such allegations.
A December 2024 report from the DOJ’s inspector general found no evidence that FBI agents were placed in the crowd to instigate or monitor the attack. According to the report, there were 26 FBI confidential informants at the event, but they were not active agents and had no role in planning or facilitating the riot.
Fact-Checking the FBI’s Involvement
Trump’s statement references 274 FBI agents being deployed to “crowd control” during the Capitol riot. This figure seems to be linked to the FBI’s response to the violence after the breach had already occurred. The FBI confirmed that 274 agents were indeed sent to support local law enforcement, but these agents were responding to the unfolding crisis and did not participate in the insurrection. This clarification undermines Trump’s claims, which suggest a premeditated FBI role in the violence.
Kash Patel, the former FBI director appointed by Trump, also criticized the agency’s actions in a September 2025 post on X (formerly Twitter). Patel referred to the 274 agents involved in crowd control, calling the decision “against FBI standards.” However, Patel did not support the conspiracy theory that the FBI was responsible for instigating the riot, aligning more with the official stance on the matter.
The Truth Behind the FBI’s Role
Despite the many conspiracy theories, investigations into the FBI’s involvement have shown that the agency was not a driving force behind the events of January 6. The DOJ’s inspector general report noted that some FBI informants entered the Capitol without permission, but these were isolated incidents that did not involve coordinated efforts to escalate the situation. Additionally, the report found no evidence that the FBI was involved in any way with the rioters before the attack began.
The FBI’s primary role on January 6 was to assist with the law enforcement response after the breach of the Capitol. Agents were dispatched to manage the chaotic situation, not to influence or provoke the violence. As the investigation into the riot continues, claims like Trump’s that suggest government complicity remain unsupported by evidence.
Continuing Controversy and Legal Consequences
The legal fallout from the January 6 insurrection continues to unfold, with more than 1,400 arrests made and over 1,000 convictions related to the event. The violence resulted in multiple deaths and significant injuries, including to law enforcement officers. Since Trump’s return to office in January 2025, he has issued pardons for many individuals convicted in connection with the riot, including 14 commutations and more than 1,200 full pardons.
Despite official reports and investigations clearing the FBI of involvement in any orchestrated role during the Capitol riot, Trump’s ongoing promotion of these false narratives contributes to the continued polarization surrounding the events of January 6. These claims remain part of a broader effort to challenge the legitimacy of the 2020 election and the subsequent transfer of power to Joe Biden.
