GOP Presidential Candidate Makes False Claims about Capitol Attack
GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy recently participated in a CNN town hall in Iowa, where he made some dubious claims regarding the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Ramaswamy asserted that the rioters were invited into the Capitol by the police, but this claim is unfounded. In reality, police officers were assaulted while trying to prevent the mob from breaching the Capitol, engaging in hand-to-hand combat to keep them out. While there were instances where rioters were able to enter the building without resistance, this was due to them overpowering barricades and breaking windows. It is incorrect to say that the police welcomed the rioters into the Capitol.
False Conspiracy Theories of Government Involvement
Ramaswamy also repeated his belief that the January 6 attack was an instance of government entrapment, citing the presence of federal law enforcement agents. However, FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Republican appointed by Trump, has emphatically denied these claims. He has stated that the violence at the Capitol was not orchestrated by FBI sources or agents. While Wray has not provided an exact number of government agents present at the scene, the conspiracy theory suggesting FBI involvement is baseless and has been propagated by Trump supporters seeking to absolve him of responsibility for the assault.
Facts Trump Disinformation
Ramaswamy has a history of peddling disinformation about the January 6 attack, including referring to it as an “inside job.” His attempt to link a case involving the acquittal of defendants in the kidnapping plot against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to his false claims of government entrapment on January 6 is misleading. While some defendants were indeed acquitted, nine others were convicted in the case. The involvement of undercover FBI agents in the plot is a common tactic in criminal investigations, and the majority of individuals charged were found guilty.
Federal Reserve Policies and Income Inequality
When questioned about growing income inequality, Ramaswamy blamed the Federal Reserve’s policies over the past two decades. He argued that the Fed’s decision to keep interest rates low disproportionately benefited the wealthiest Americans. While this may be true to some extent, it should be noted that lower-income individuals also had the opportunity to benefit from low interest rates. For example, many Americans were able to refinance their mortgages at record low rates after the Fed slashed rates during the pandemic.
Incorrect Claims about Wages and Inflation
Ramaswamy falsely claimed that wages have remained flat while prices and interest rates have increased. However, government reports indicate otherwise. Real average weekly earnings have grown on an annual basis, outpacing inflation. Wage growth turned positive in June for the first time in 26 months. Additionally, the Employment Cost Index shows that inflation-adjusted wages and salaries have increased for civilian workers, indicating that wage growth is occurring.
Read More of this Story at www.cnn.com – 2023-12-14 03:41:00
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