Video shows comedian, not liberal Jan. 6 rioter, posing as Trump supporter | Fact check

Andre Byik, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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Rioters are pictured storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The claim: Video shows liberals disguised themselves as Trump supporters in Jan. 6 Capitol attack

A Jan. 6 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows two men in 2021 talking about how to blend in among then-President Donald Trump's supporters in Washington.

"You should wear this," says a man on the video, handing the person filming a red "Trump 2020" hat. The man adds: "You've got to blend in. I know you can't stomach wearing it, but, like, you need to blend in."

The video's on-screen caption reads, "Liberals disguising themselves as Trump supporters to attack the Capital (sic) on January 6th." The caption includes the hashtags #January6Hoax, #FalseFlag and #LiberalsInDisguise.

The Instagram video, which was also shared widely on TikTok, was liked more than 5,000 times in five days.

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Our rating: False

The video is miscaptioned. It shows a comedian and his videographer preparing to interview Trump supporters for comedic purposes on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. There is no evidence they participated in the attack.

False caption placed on comedian's video

The video featured in the post shows a portion of a video uploaded to YouTube on Feb. 3, 2021, by Walter Masterson, a comedian and podcast host whose work includes social commentary and person-on-the-street interviews.

In the video, Masterson poses as a journalist for the conservative outlet One America News Network while interviewing Trump's supporters.

The original footage makes clear that Masterson and his videographer were witnesses to the riot that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol that day, not participants. The video's description explains they went to the Capitol to make comedy videos. There are no reputable reports that suggest otherwise.

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Masterson had a tongue-in-cheek response to the miscaptioned clip.

"You got me. You uncovered our secret plan," Masterson said in an email. He added in part, "I decided that the best way to keep my presence at Capitol Hill a secret was to upload 20 videos across my YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook channels."

He noted his footage also was featured during a hearing of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Masterson has about 2.5 million followers across his social media accounts and has posted regularly since January 2021.

USA TODAY has debunked numerous false claims about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including a claim that Trump's supporters were set up to take the blame for the attack by far-left activists.

The Instagram user who shared the video did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Associated Press also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video shows comedian disguising as Jan. 6 Trump supporter | Fact check

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