Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Pro-Trump Rep. Slams FBI for Seizing Congressmember Cell Data in Capitol Riot Probe and People Think They Know Why

Pro-Trump Rep. Slams FBI for Seizing Congressmember Cell Data in Capitol Riot Probe and People Think They Know Why
Samuel Corum/Getty Images

On January 6, Congress held a joint session to nationally certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, which saw then-President-elect Joe Biden defeat then-President Donald Trump in the race for the White House.

What for decades was a standard post-election procedure was thrust into infamy when a mob of pro-Trump extremists stormed the United States Capitol, fueled by Trump's incessant lies that Democrats orchestrated widespread election fraud to deliver Biden a false victory.


At least five people died as a result of the attack, which also endangered the lives of every lawmaker present.

The riots led to Trump's second impeachment by the House and second acquittal by the Senate in the subsequent impeachment trial.

But while Congress may be done evaluating Trump's role in the calamity that day, U.S. intelligence agencies are still investigating what happened in the failed insurrection.

A report from The Intercept's Ken Klippenstein and Eric Lichtblau details steps taken by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to secure "thousands of phone and electronic records" from those at the scene of the riot, including from members of Congress.

According to the report, the FBI gathered the data immediately after the riots using extrajudicial emergency powers and other means.

Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL), one of Trump's most submissive supporters even after the riots, decried the news on Twitter as an overstep on the part of the FBI.

While the FBI's surveillance has sparked concerns about its surveillance powers, Gaetz's condemnation comes amid speculation that far-right members of Congress may have aided the rioters inadvertently or otherwise.

QAnon devotees in the House—Congresswomen Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO)—likened the opposition on January 6 to a "1776 moment" before the riots began. Congress members have confirmed that, in the days before the riots, Boebert gave a tour of the Capitol to a "large" group, despite the suspension of Capitol tours in light of the pandemic. Boebert also tweeted updates on lawmakers' locations as the riots were ongoing.

There's growing evidence that far-right extremist group The Proud Boys played a substantial role in coordinating the riot. As recently as this past October, Gaetz himself used Proud Boys members as event security.

The entanglement of far-right members of Congress and the extremism that sparked the riots had some speculating Gaetz's rebuke of the data-gathering was motivated by self-preservation.






Some expect the data collection will lead to jaw-dropping revelations.



House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has vowed to organize a special committee investigating the failed insurrection.

More from People/donald-trump

red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Barack Obama
Suzanne Plunkett-Pool/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Resurfaced Trump Tweet Criticizing Obama Over Iran Comes Back To Bite Him

Amid tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump was criticized for hypocrisy after social media users resurfaced a 2013 tweet in which he accused former President Barack Obama of planning an attack on Iran because of his "inability to negotiate properly."

Trump has declined to clarify whether the U.S. is edging closer to launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a warning from Iran’s supreme leader against any attack and a rejection of Trump’s demand for surrender.

Keep ReadingShow less
​​Elon Musk
Allison Robbert/AFP via Getty Images

Anti-Elon Banner at Stanford

Stanford University graduates were given creative advice from above as an airplane flew over the graduation ceremony with a banner reading, “CONGRATS! DON’T WORK FOR ELON.”

The moment was captured last Sunday during the university’s 134th Commencement ceremony, where the Class of 2025 received their degrees at Stanford Stadium.

Keep ReadingShow less
Simone Ashley; Brad Pitt in 'F1'
Arnold Jerocki/L'Oreal/Getty Images

'F1' Director Speaks Out After Fan Outrage Over 'Bridgerton' Star's Scenes Getting Cut From Film

Once the F1 Grand Prix bug bites you, it's hard to let the passion and drive for the sport go, and most fans are eager to consume any additional content, from interviews to documentaries to full-length films.

Coming later this month is F1, starring Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, who missed his shot at stardom in a near-fatal accident in the 1990s. Thirty years later, his former team is struggling to succeed and convince him to come back to the track, but this time, he has to learn that it's not something he can do alone.

Keep ReadingShow less