Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. retracted a false claim on Friday, after previously stating that participants in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot were unarmed. This erroneous assertion, previously propagated by former President Donald Trump, has been consistently debunked.
Kennedy’s initial statement was part of an attempt to clarify his stance on the events of January 6, following controversial comments made by his campaign in fundraising emails earlier in the week. However, after CNN and other media outlets highlighted the inaccuracy of his claim, Kennedy issued a retraction.
In his follow-up statement, Kennedy admitted, “My understanding that none of the January 6 rioters who invaded the Capitol were carrying firearms was incorrect.” He acknowledged that several rioters have been convicted for carrying firearms, while others assaulted Capitol police with various makeshift weapons. He condemned such behavior as “inexcusable”.
Fact Check: Rioters Were Armed
Contrary to Kennedy’s initial claim, evidence from video footage and court cases confirm that many rioters were armed with a range of weapons, including guns, stun guns, knives, batons, baseball bats, flagpoles, and chemical sprays. The Justice Department has reported that 122 individuals charged in connection with the riot entered a restricted area with a dangerous or deadly weapon.
Kennedy’s initial statement also included a mix of other claims about January 6, some of which were debatable or inaccurate. These claims have been promoted by Trump and other right-wing figures. Kennedy’s campaign had previously referred to the riot participants as “activists” who have been “stripped of their constitutional liberties” in fundraising emails, a characterization the campaign later said was an error.
In his retraction statement, Kennedy emphasized, “I have never minimized or dismissed the seriousness of the riot or any crime committed on that day.”
Many Rioters Were Armed
It has been clear since early 2021 that many rioters carried weapons. Prosecutors have obtained convictions against rioters who carried everything from a tomahawk ax to a hockey stick. Several rioters have been convicted and sentenced for carrying guns, including Mark Mazza of Indiana, Guy Reffitt of Texas, Christopher Alberts of Maryland, and Jerod Thomas Bargar of Missouri. Other cases involving firearms are still pending.