The Poynter Institute Menu Donate State Editions * California * Florida * Iowa * Michigan * New Hampshire * New York * North Carolina * Pennsylvania * Texas * West Virginia * Wisconsin Issues * All Issues * Online hoaxes * Coronavirus * Health Care * Immigration * Extremism * Taxes * Marijuana * Environment * Crime * Guns * Foreign Policy * LGBTQ+ People * Joe Biden * Kamala Harris * Donald Trump * Mitch McConnell * Hakeem Jeffries * Ron DeSantis Media * PunditFact * Tucker Carlson * Sean Hannity * Rachel Maddow * Bloggers * PolitiFact Videos Campaigns * 2024 Elections Truth-o-Meter * True * Mostly True * Half True * Mostly False * False * Pants on Fire Promises * Biden Promise Tracker * Trump-O-Meter * Obameter * Latest Promises About Us * Our Process * Our Staff * En Español * Who pays for PolitiFact? * Advertise with Us * Suggest a Fact-check * Corrections and Updates * Newsletters Donate #### Follow us The Facts Newsletter Sign up English Español ### Get PolitiFact in your inbox. * Weekly Email Newsletter * Daily Email Newsletter Your Email Address Sign Up ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron Johnson stated on February 15, 2021 in a radio interview: Says Jan. 6 Capitol riot “didn’t seem like an armed insurrection.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"pants- fire\\"](\\" * Criminal Justice * Guns * Wisconsin * Jan. 6 * Ron Johnson ![\\"Ron](\\" Ron Johnson ![\\"Eric](\\" mug_small/f8ec7291d825b9e6d54a4e23eef2704c.jpg\\"/) By Eric Litke February 15, 2021 # Yes, Jan. 6 Capitol assault was an “armed insurrection” #### If Your Time is short * Police stopped only a fraction of the violent protestors Jan. 6, but we still know of guns and explosives seized in and around the Capitol. And we know rioters brought knives, brass knuckles a stun gun and other weapons. * Just as notable, video plainly shows the mob using all manner of makeshift weapons to attack police and force their way in, including hockey sticks, flagpoles, fire extinguishers and a police shield stolen from an officer. See the sources for this fact-check Five people died Jan. 6, 2021, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer, when a mob violently invaded the U.S. Capitol in protest of the November 2020 election results. Few arrests were made that day, but our understanding of the day’s events and the rioters’ motivations has grown over time, as more than 230 people have now been identified and charged, according to a database maintained by National Public Radio. But U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, still claims accounts of the day’s events are being exaggerated. He made his case Feb. 15, 2021, in an appearance on \"The Jay Weber Show\" on WISN radio. \"The fact of the matter is this didn’t seem like an armed insurrection to me. I mean armed, when you hear armed, don’t you think of firearms?\" Johnson said. \"Here’s the questions I would have liked to ask. How many firearms were confiscated? How many shots were fired? I’m only aware of one, and I’ll defend that law enforcement officer for taking that shot.\" Johnson made a nearly identical claim later that morning on another Wisconsin radio show. Johnson is couching this as an opinion, but he’s attempting to make a factual case that Jan. 6 wasn’t an \"armed insurrection.\" So let’s review the evidence on that point. Breaking down the claim Johnson prefaced this comment by claiming that Democrats are painting a picture of every Trump voter being a violent rioter. Certainly not everyone in the crowd was armed. And many clearly came intending only to peacefully protest. But claiming this was not an armed insurrection goes well behind this line of thinking. Many in the crowd attacking the Capitol have said their intent was to stop the vote confirmation and keep Trump in office despite the election results. That’s an insurrection. That leaves us with his objection to the word \"armed.\" Yes, carrying a gun would constitute being armed. But the definition of the word is much more broad, referring simply to carrying a weapon. So the question is whether this insurrection involved people carrying weapons. And it certainly did. Reports detail an array of weapons, many makeshift First off we’ll note that any reports of weapons at the Capitol will greatly understate the quantity that was likely there. Only 75 people were arrested that day, and police weren’t doing any widespread searches that would have identified weapons on others present, NBC News notes. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on August 8, 2024 in a press conference Says his Jan. 6, 2021, speech on the White House Ellipse drew the “same number of people,” as the 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • August 9, 2024 \"The cops weren\'t searching people,\" Mark Jones, a former agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with 20 years of counterterrorism experience told NBC News in a Jan. 13, 2021, story. \"I\'d speculate that there were many, many more firearms that were there that were not uncovered.\" But news and official reports are filled with accounts of armed people at the Capitol. Fourteen people tied to the Jan. 6 attack are facing federal charges related to bringing or using dangerous weapons inside the building and two are facing firearms-related charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. NBC News reported that within a week after the attack a dozen guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition had been found on seven people arrested before and after the Capitol riot. Cleveland Grover Meredith, drove to Washington from Colorado with an assault- style Tavor X95 rifle with a telescopic sight, a Glock 9 mm with high-capacity magazines and more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition, including at least 320 rounds of armor-piercing bullets, NBC reported. Reuters said Meredith texted \"War time\" after hearing Vice President Mike Pence would count electoral votes from states Trump lost. In the trunk of Lonnie Coffman’s vehicle, police found an AR-15-style rifle, a shotgun, a crossbow, several machetes, smoke grenades and 11 Molotov cocktails, Reuters reported. Another man, Christopher Alberts of Maryland, was stopped as he left the Capitol grounds after a police officer spotted a loaded handgun on his hip. Many more people armed themselves by more unorthodox means, causing damage and injury. Robert Sanford, 55, of Pennsylvania, was allegedly caught on video throwing a fire extinguisher at a group of police officers. David Blair, 26, was seen hitting officers with a lacrosse stick, NBC said. Others had pepper spray, brass knuckles, a pipe and pocket knives, and one man was carrying a \"stinger whip,\" a tool with blunt and whip-like edges marketed for self-defense and escaping a locked vehicle. One rioter was caught on video beating a police officer with a flagpole bearing an American flag, NBC Washington reported. The New York Times reviewed video that showed people using stolen police shields, sticks and crutches as weapons. And the man photographed with his feet on the desk of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was carrying a 950,000-volt stun gun walking stick, House impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett revealed Feb. 10. Not to mention pipe bombs were found near the Capitol at Republican and Democratic party headquarters. Johnson’s staff did not immediately return an email seeking evidence or explanation of his claim. Our ruling Johnson said the Jan. 6 Capitol riot \"didn’t seem like an armed insurrection.\" That’s ridiculous revisionist history. Overwhelmed police arrested and had direct contact with only a fraction of the mob that day, but we still can identify accounts of numerous weapons found in and around the Capitol, brought there in some cases by people who saw themselves as soldiers in a war. And many other rioters used whatever hard objects they could find to attack police and force their way into the Capitol. A majority of senators, through the impeachment vote, put the blame on Trump for stirring up the riot, though others debate the \"why\" question for the events of Jan. 6. But the \"what\" question shouldn\'t be debated. It was an armed insurrection. We rate this claim Pants on Fire. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources WISN radio, \"The Jay Weber Show,\" Feb. 15, 2021 NPR, The Capitol Siege: The Arrested And Their Stories, Feb. 12, 2021 OMNY.fm, The Regular Joe Show, RJS-02/15/21-Segment 4, Feb. 15, 2021 NBC News, Stun guns, \'stinger whips\' and a crossbow: What police found on the Capitol protesters, Jan. 13, 2021 Reuters, Arrested Capitol rioters had guns and bombs, everyday careers and Olympic medals, Jan. 14, 2021 The Hill, Police seized alarming number of weapons on Capitol rioters, court documents show, Jan. 16, 2021 WHYY, Retired Delco firefighter charged with assault for hurling fire extinguisher at Capitol Police, Jan. 14, 2021 NBC Washington, Capitol Rioter Beat DC Officer With Pole Flying American Flag, Jan. 12, 2021 New York Times, ‘They Got a Officer!’: How a Mob Dragged and Beat Police at the Capitol, Jan. 11, 2021 CNN, Trump’s second impeachment trial: Day 2, Feb. 10, 2021 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Eric Litke ![](\\" ![](\\" Mark Born stated on March 21, 2021 in a TV appearance: “Private insurance gives … better coverage” than people would get under a Medicaid expansion. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Eric Litke • April 21, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Janet Bewley stated on March 28, 2021 in TV interview: Says Republican lawmakers delayed COVID-19 testing ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • April 16, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tony Evers stated on March 30, 2021 in Twitter: “It took the Legislature nearly 300 days to act on a (COVID-19) bill during this pandemic.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • April 2, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Shelley Grogan stated on March 29, 2021 in a radio ad: Judge Jeff Davis \"spent years defending a convicted cop killer\" and \"tried to get him off the hook.\" ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 30, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" James Edming stated on March 23, 2021 in a speech: “You can’t tell me they can (develop a safe vaccine) in eight to 10 months. Or a year. It takes more time than that.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 26, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron Johnson stated on March 20, 2021 in a speech: “There was no violence on the Senate side, in terms of the chamber.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 23, 2021 ![](\\" sen-stroebel/626cbc5b71c026c4147c955b46d1e90a.jpg\\") ![](\\" sen-stroebel/43141e5e308588b580466ad546acd45c.jpg\\") Duey Stroebel stated on March 7, 2021 in a TV interview: \"We’ve had more voter turnout since voter ID was passed than ever before.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 19, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on March 10, 2021 in a Facebook post: Diesel prices jumped from $1.69 to $3.19 since Biden took office, and the president is to blame. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 17, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron Johnson stated on March 4, 2021 in in various forums: On passing high-dollar legislation with no time to read it. ![\\"full-flop\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"full-flop\\"](\\" flop.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 11, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Gordon Hintz stated on February 23, 2021 in a speech: Republicans are “trying to create a fake unemployment insurance crisis.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Eric Litke • March 4, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Scott Fitzgerald stated on February 27, 2021 in a press release: “More than 91% of the spending in this $1.9 trillion package is not used for pandemic relief.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • March 1, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Sarah Godlewski stated on February 6, 2021 in a tweet: “On average, 17% of a family’s income goes towards child care in Wisconsin.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • February 23, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Mark Pocan stated on February 12, 2021 in a tweet: Ron Johnson didn’t “show up” for a day of impeachment hearings. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • February 16, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron Johnson stated on February 15, 2021 in a radio interview: Says Jan. 6 Capitol riot “didn’t seem like an armed insurrection.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Eric Litke • February 15, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Dan O\'Donnell stated on February 3, 2021 in in a commentary: November election data shows a “stunning anomaly in the rejection rate of absentee ballots.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Eric Litke • February 12, 2021 ### Yes, Jan. 6 Capitol assault was an “armed insurrection” * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on September 2, 2024 in a Threads post: Photo shows Vice President Kamala Harris “in the 90s.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • September 4, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on August 23, 2024 in a campaign event in Glendale, Ariz.: “There’s been a 43% increase in violent crimes since I left office.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • September 4, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 2, 2024 in an Instagram reel: NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles endorsed Kamala Harris for president. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • September 4, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" JD Vance stated on August 25, 2024 in an interview on NBC\'s \"Meet the Press\": A zero-tolerance policy during the Trump administration \"led to less family separation than under Kamala Harris\' border policies.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Amy Sherman • September 4, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Social Media stated on August 29, 2024 in a post on Instagram: “BREAKING: Illegal Aliens in San Diego, California, tried to hijack 2 school buses filled with children.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Madison Czopek • September 4, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on September 1, 2024 in a Threads post: “Melania Trump just filed for divorce MINUTES ago in Palm Beach.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Loreben Tuquero • September 4, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on August 26, 2024 in an interview with a podcaster: Vice President Kamala Harris “is a communist. … She is really a Marxist.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Amy Sherman • September 4, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 29, 2024 in a post: Vice President Kamala Harris was fired from McDonald’s for stealing. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Sara Swann • September 4, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 2, 2024 in a photo: Image claims Tiger Woods said “Kamala\'s fake black accent is embarrassing and extremely offensive.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu • September 4, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Bernie Moreno stated on August 20, 2024 in a campaign ad: U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown voted to “give illegals taxpayer funded stimulus checks, health care, even Social Security.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Seth A. Richardson • September 4, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. Become a member! In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts. Sign me up #### Offices District of Columbia 1800 I Street NW Washington, DC 20006 Florida 801 3rd St. S St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-821-9494 #### People * Joe Biden * Kamala Harris * Donald Trump * Mitch McConnell * Hakeem Jeffries * Ron DeSantis #### State Editions * California * Florida * Iowa * Michigan * New Hampshire * New York * North Carolina * Pennsylvania * Texas * West Virginia * Wisconsin #### About Us * Our Process * Our Staff * En Español * Who pays for PolitiFact? * Advertise with Us * Corrections and Updates * Newsletters #### RSS Feeds * Recent Articles and Fact-checks * Recent Fact-checks Suggest a Fact-check #### Follow us The Facts Newsletter Sign up Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Copyright ©All Rights Reserved Poynter Institute 2020, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization ![\\"\\"](\\" ✕ * * *
Says Jan 6 Capitol riot didn’t seem like an armed insurrection