US Capitol pipe bomb suspect says he believed Trump's 2020 election lie

US Capitol Pipe Bomb Suspect Admits to Planting Explosives in Desperation over Stolen Election Claim

A 30-year-old man from Virginia, Brian Cole Jr, has been charged with placing pipe bombs outside Democratic and Republican party headquarters near the US Capitol on the eve of a deadly attack by Trump supporters. His arrest came after investigators linked him to several components used to make the explosives.

Cole allegedly believed in conspiracy theories that the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden had been stolen from Donald Trump, which fueled his decision to take drastic action. He confessed to planting the bombs, although FBI officials have not commented on Cole's alleged motivations.

The devices were discovered the next day and were deactivated by police without exploding or causing any injuries. Thousands of Trump supporters broke into the Capitol in a failed attempt to overturn Biden's victory.

Cole appeared before a federal magistrate judge on Friday, where he was charged with two explosives-related offenses carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The investigation involved tracing purchases of bomb-making components and cellphone data that linked Cole to the area near the Republican National Committee building on the evening of January 5th.

Yooo, I'm low-key relieved no one got hurt from those pipe bombs . But, like, what's with this guy's desperation mode? He thinks a pipe bomb is gonna change the game? It's just crazy to think someone could get so caught up in a conspiracy theory that they're willing to risk everyone around them . And can we talk about how ridiculous it is that he thought stealing an election was even a thing? Like, dude, you gotta get with the times . The law will catch up to him eventually and he'll be facing some serious time .

man.. can u believe this?? some guy just lost his mind because of fake news and now ppl r dying ... like what's next? us going to start blowing up other politicians' offices too? cole might get 20 yrs but idk man, that still dont seem enough for the kinda drama he pulled off he needs help, not a long sentence... and btw, whats with this whole stealing election thing tho? cant we just move on from 2020 already?

OMG, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing . Like, I get it, people can be super invested in politics and think things are rigged or whatever, but come on... planting pipe bombs? That's just crazy talk . And the fact that he thought it would somehow change the outcome of the election is wild . Newsflash: no amount of explosives can overturn a presidential win .

I'm glad the devices didn't explode and hurt anyone, though . It's just devastating to think about what could've happened if those bombs had gone off . And what really gets me is that he thought he was taking action in desperation... but it just ended up causing more chaos and destruction .

I'm all for speaking out against injustices and advocating for change, but there are better ways to do it than resorting to violence or threats . We need to find healthier ways to engage with each other and work towards a solution, you know?

This guy's desperation is literally mind-blowing ! I mean, plantin' pipe bombs over some conspiracy theories about an election? What's next, people? We gotta be careful here, folks! This isn't just a case of someone losin' the plot, it's a matter of national security . And what's wild is that it took him goin' full-on crazy to get caught . I'm all for holdin' ppl accountable, but can't we find ways to address our differences without resortin' to violent acts? It's like, take a deep breath, folks, and let's talk this out instead of reachin' for the explosives .

poor guy... seems like he's been lost in a dark world of conspiracy theories . no one knows what's real and what's not, right? it's crazy how someone can believe all this stuff and lose sight of reality . and now he's facing serious consequences 20 years is a long time... hope he gets the help he needs to deal with whatever's going on in his head .

Ugh, can't believe what's going down ! I mean, I get it, people are passionate about politics, but come on... this guy was like, desperate, you know? Planting pipe bombs outside party HQs? That's just not right . I'm all for free speech and expressing opinions, but not when you're willing to resort to violence .

And what really gets me is that it's always something like this when Trump supporters get upset about the election . It feels like they just can't accept reality sometimes . Like, dude, it's okay to disagree with someone's policies or opinions, but not to threaten their life or property .

Anyway, 20 years in prison is a decent sentence, I guess . Hope the guy gets some help too, because clearly he needs it .

I'm not surprised to see someone go all-out after feeling like their vote doesn't count . I mean, it's crazy how deep some people can dive down the rabbit hole, right? This guy Cole was clearly in a state of panic and desperation, which is exactly what the conspiracy theories fed into . It's heartbreaking to think about someone so consumed by anger and misinformation that they'd resort to something like this.

On one hand, I'm glad the police were able to defuse the situation before it got out of hand . But on another hand, where are these people going when they're feeling this angry and disenfranchised? Is it gonna be more pipe bombs or is someone actually listening to reason ?

Ugh, this is getting crazy! A guy's entire life unravels over a conspiracy theory and he ends up planting bombs outside the Capitol? It's like, what's next? Are we gonna see people setting off fireworks or something because they think their favorite team lost the Super Bowl? I mean, I'm all for free speech and exploring weird ideas, but come on! This guy was literally trying to hurt people and now he's just sitting in a cell with 20 years of his life gone? It's like, what's the point of even having laws if we're not gonna enforce them?!

I don't get it how some people can think like this . So there's this guy, Brian Cole Jr, who just lost his mind thinking Biden stole the election... like, what even is that? He starts making pipe bombs and tries to scare people around the Capitol building, and now he's in big trouble. Can't he see how that just causes more hurt and pain? And what's with all these conspiracy theories, man? It's just not true . I don't think 20 years is enough time for him, either... someone needs to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again .

I'm so worried about people like Brian Cole Jr who are desperate enough to resort to violence . This whole situation is a stark reminder of how our country's polarization can lead to some really crazy behavior. I mean, come on, planting pipe bombs over a disputed election result? It's just not okay.

It's also concerning that conspiracy theories about the 2020 election are still circulating and affecting people like Cole, who take them way too seriously . We need to find better ways to address these issues, like promoting critical thinking and media literacy, rather than just demonizing certain groups or ideologies.

And let's not forget that thousands of Trump supporters did storm the Capitol, which was a terrifying event for many people . It's sad that our country's politics can't be resolved through respectful dialogue and compromise.

Anyway, I hope Cole gets the help he needs and that we can all take a step back to think about how we're contributing to this toxic environment .

I don't know how I feel about this guy's actions ... on one hand, I get it, he was fed up with the whole election thing and thought some drastic measures were necessary ... but planting pipe bombs is never the answer, it puts a lot of innocent people in harm's way . And what really gets me is that thousands of Trump supporters showed up to the Capitol, causing chaos and violence, while Cole was just trying to make his point ... I guess we need to keep working on our democracy system so these situations aren't a thing anymore .

omg what's wrong with this dude? thinks he can just plant pipe bombs outside party headquarters and expect nothing to happen lol I mean i get it, elections are crazy but come on this is like something out of a bad movie anyway I wonder how deep the conspiracy theories went for him to believe they were real...like did he really think Biden's win was gonna be annulled or what? and btw 20 years in prison doesn't seem like enough considering the damage he could've done

I'm so concerned about this guy, he's really lucky nobody got hurt . I mean, can you imagine putting lives at risk like that just because of some conspiracy theory? It's just not worth it, fam. I feel for the investigators who had to deal with this, they must've been super stressed . And 20 years in prison is a decent sentence, but I hope he gets mental health support too, 'cause clearly something was messed up in his head .

Dude, I'm telling you, this is just more proof that the system's rigged . I mean, think about it - a guy plants these bombs thinking someone else did it and then confesses? Sounds like a setup to me... Like, what if he was actually framed by someone who wanted to cover their own tracks? And what about all those conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 election? It's not just a coincidence that this guy got worked up over it. There's gotta be more to the story than meets the eye . I'm not saying Cole is innocent or anything, but we need to keep an open mind here... The government doesn't want us to think critically about these things, you know? It's all just a big distraction from the real issues .

I'm genuinely surprised they're not talking more about how this guy's whole situation went down . Like, he was allegedly going off the deep end over some election claims and now people are saying it's just another example of how our system is broken . But what really gets me is that he actually planted those bombs himself! What if they'd gone off? It could've been so much worse . I mean, we all know Trump supporters have been pretty extreme in the past, but come on... this is just insane . And now Cole's facing up to 20 years in prison for it? Yeah, that seems like a bit of an overreaction to me .

this guy's actions are so messed up... i mean, like, i get why some people would be upset about elections being stolen, but using pipe bombs? that's just insane. it's not a way to make a point or bring attention to something - it's just violent and puts lives at risk. and what's with the conspiracy theories, anyway? can't we all just agree on the facts and move forward?

man this is so concerning , I keep thinking about all those people who got caught up in that crazy storm and it's just a reminder how easily we can get lost in the noise of misinformation . I'm glad no one got hurt but what really gets me is how Cole went from believing some pretty out-there conspiracy theories to actually putting his life on the line , it's like he lost himself in all that drama and then had to face the consequences. 20 years in prison seems like a lot for something that could've been avoided if he'd just fact-checked things , I hope we can learn from this as a society and try to be more mindful of what we're consuming online .

Can't believe someone would resort to this level of desperation over a disputed election . I mean, think about it, if Joe Biden really did steal an election from Donald Trump... wouldn't that be all over by now? Wouldn't the whole country be talking about it? And yet here we are, with some guy planting pipe bombs because his conspiracy theories aren't being taken seriously . It's like he thinks this is going to make a difference or something . Newsflash, Brian: it's not going to change the fact that you lost . And what's even more concerning is that there are people out there who actually believe in this stuff and might be inspired by Cole's actions . We need to get a grip on our sanity as a society before it's too late

omg what's going through ppl's minds when they start thinking pipe bombs are a solution? like, i get it, elections can be super frustrating, but resorting to violence is just not cool . and the fact that he believed in conspiracy theories about the 2020 election winning doesn't make him any less crazy, if u ask me . i mean, come on, we've seen enough drama with Trump supporters trying to overturn the results... can't we just move on from all that? anyway, i'm glad no one was hurt by these bombs and that Cole's being held accountable for his actions . 20 years in prison is still a pretty harsh sentence, but i guess it's better than nothing