Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy got some surprising backup for his views about the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol being an “inside job.”
The 2024 hopeful sent the left into meltdowns after he doubled down on his contention during a CNN town hall on Wednesday when he locked horns with host Abby Phillip who asked him to clarify his remarks from the fourth Republican primary debate that there were federal agents in the crowd on January 6.
Ramaswamy’s explosive CNN townhall: Jan 6 ‘inside job’ exchange is pure gold https://t.co/GirJbGEG4J
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) December 14, 2023
Reacting to the interview in a post on X, former U.S. Capitol Police Lieutenant Tarik Johnson said Ramaswamy “got a lot right in this interview.”
In a long and explosive message posted online, the former officer, who has referred to Jan. 6 as a “set-up” and a “cover-up,” broke his silence and revealed behind-the-scenes details about the fateful day.
“I’ve been saying publicly for a year that J6 was not an insurrection but not many people would listen,” the 22-year veteran of the Capitol Hill force wrote, explaining that “no one would benefit more than I if J6 was an insurrection” than himself.
Johnson, who was suspended after he wore a MAGA cap on January 6 and later resigned, referred to himself as “the Commander that ordered and led the evacuations of the Senate and the House during the J6 breach.” He described how he begged “former Assistant Chief Yogananda Pittman for permission to do so as she sat comfortably in the Commander Center watching the events unfold on CCTV while Chief Steven A Sund was obtaining National Guard approval and getting assistance from local law enforcement agencies.”
Vivek Ramaswamy got a lot right in this interview. I’ve been saying publicly for a year that J6 was not an insurrection but not many people would listen. Ironically so, no one would benefit more than I if J6 was an insurrection as I (Tarik Johnson) was the Commander that ordered… https://t.co/mdUVfdVQff
— Tarik Johnson (@elleonCEOTK) December 14, 2023
“Pittman flat out ignored me so I was forced to forge ahead with the evacuations without obtaining approval from her. Three days later I decided to call Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont to report Pittman’s malfeasance and approximately an hour after I got off the phone with the senator, I was contacted by the USCP internal affairs section and informed I was suspended,” he wrote.
Johnson explained that he was suspended for 17 months and was under a gag order not to speak with the media.
“I was also required to remain in my house Monday through Friday from the hours of 8am to 4pm and unable to step off my property without notifying the USCP for fear of being disciplined up to and including termination during those 17 months,” he continued.
Johnson explained that the information he relayed and other facts were what USCP Chief J Thomas Manger was “brought in to cover-up,” referring to Manger as “arguably the most corrupt politician in the country.”
Johnson then made a direct appeal to Ramaswamy.
“If presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy would like more FACTS to disrupt the insurrection narrative, I will inbox his designated representative my personal phone number. God bless our country now and in 2024,” he concluded.
A few hours after his post, Ramaswamy responded on X with a simple, “This is wild.”
This is wild. https://t.co/1arb2cnDtC
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 14, 2023
