President Trump fumed about a report that alleges the FBI had almost 300 undercover agents amid the Jan. 6, 2021, protest at the Capitol, which he says contradicts what former FBI Director Christopher Wray said.
“It was just revealed that the FBI had secretly placed, against all Rules, Regulations, Protocols, and Standards, 274 FBI Agents into the Crowd just prior to, and during, the January 6th Hoax,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday.
“This is different from what Director Christopher Wray stated, over and over again! That’s right, as it now turns out, FBI Agents were at, and in, the January 6th Protest, probably acting as Agitators and Insurrectionists, but certainly not as ‘Law Enforcement Officials,’” he added.
A report from conservative outlet Blaze News on Thursday claimed the 274 plainclothes agents mingled with the protesters, according to a senior congressional source, even though a Justice Department Inspector General report from December found no evidence of undercover agents.
“I want to know who each and every one of these so-called ‘Agents’ are, and what they were up to on that now ‘Historic’ Day,” Mr. Trump said. “Many Great American Patriots were made to pay a very big price only for the love of their Country.”
He added, “I owe this investigation of ‘Dirty Cops and Crooked Politicians’ to them! Christopher Wray, the then Director of the FBI, has some major explaining to do. That’s two in a row, Comey and Wray, who got caught LYING, with our Great Country at stake. WE CAN NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN TO AMERICA AGAIN!”
Mr. Wray replaced FBI Director James Comey in 2017 and served as director until 2025, under Mr. Trump and former President Joseph R. Biden.
Mr. Wray had rejected any notion that undercover law enforcement was present for the riot.
The president started to sour on Mr. Wray shortly after he was confirmed in 2017. When Mr. Wray announced he was resigning last December, before his 10-year term was up, Mr. Trump applauded the decision.
He called it “a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice.”
“I just don’t know what happened to him. We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans. Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America,” he wrote on Truth Social at the time. “They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of whom will never be able to recover from what has been done to them.”
In another Truth Social post later Saturday, Mr. Trump pointed fingers at one of his GOP rivals for his decision to pick Mr. Wray.
“For those who are interested, and there aren’t many of you, Christopher Wray was recommended to me by Sloppy Chris Christie when Chris was in my ’good graces’ — which was a very long time ago!” he wrote.
The president’s Saturday Truth Social post came two days after Mr. Comey was indicted on charges of making a false statement and obstruction related to his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020 about the FBI’s probe into what Mr. Trump calls the Russia hoax.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.