Michigan state senator caught doubling down on comments that riot on Capitol Hill was a ‘hoax’

After initially apologizing for saying the attack on the Capitol was a “hoax,” Michigan State Senator Mike Shirkey was caught on a burning microphone saying he supported these comments, reported the Detroit Free Press.

Why is this important: Prominent Congressional Republicans such as Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) And other Trump allies have baselessly suggested that the Capitol rioters were Antifa members or others posing as Trump supporters.

• Images from Jan.6 showed many rioters carrying Trump flags, wearing Trump-branded clothing and chanting in support of Trump.

What they say: “I frankly won’t repeat any of the points I was trying to make,” said Shirkey, while speaking to another Michigan lawmaker in a state legislative session.

• “They weren’t people from Trump,” Shirkey said at the February 3 private meeting at a Detroit Metro Times first dinner. “It’s been a hoax from day one. It was all pre-arranged. ”
• “Why wasn’t there more security? It was ridiculous, everything was staged,”

Background: A day earlier, Shirkey issued an apology for calling the U.S. Capitol riots a hoax.

• “I said some things in a video chat that didn’t fit the role I have the privilege of playing,” Shirkey said in a press release.
• “I have it. I have many flaws. Being passionate coupled with an occasional lack of language restraint are at least two. I regret the words I have chosen and I apologize for my insensitive comments.”

To note: Separately, Shirkey was censored by the Hillsdale Republican Party, the Metro Times reported, for condemning armed “peaceful protesters” who stormed the Michigan state capital and for “surrendering” Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s pandemic measures.

Go back: Trump summoned Shirkey and other Republican state lawmakers to Washington DC as part of the president’s attempt to overturn the election results.

• Shirley and the Michigan Legislative Delegation released a declaration after the visit declaring that they “had not yet been aware of any information that could change the result of the Michigan election”.