FBI Arrests Suspected Jan. 6 Pipe Bomber

The FBI arrested an individual on Thursday who they believe placed pipe bombs outside the offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees (DNC and RNC) the evening before January 6, 2021.

The Details: The arrest of a yet-to-be-named Virginia man followed a nearly five-year-long investigation into the incident.

For Context: The January 6 incident has been a topic of debate from both sides of the political aisle, with the left calling it an "insurrection" and the right deeming the events of that day a "riot," saying the Black Lives Matter riots and George Floyd protests were worse. Tucker Carlson also aired footage that he argued proves January 6 was not an insurrection. President Donald Trump has since issued pardons to all US citizens for "certain offenses related to the 2020 Presidential election." FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has also stated on his podcast, The Dan Bongino Show, that he believed the FBI knew who the pipe bomber was and that it was an "inside job." Bongino said in May that he wanted answers on this, and "I'm pretty confident that we're closing in on some suspects."

How The Media Covered It: Fox News (Right bias) gave the details of the arrest and some background on the incident, but did not provide any other information. CNN (Lean Left), on the other hand, highlighted that then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris came within 20 feet of the bomb, and that the incident "diverted police away from the violence unfolding at the Capitol."  Both CNN and The Hill (Center) mentioned the "conspiracy theories" around the incident, and cited Bongino's suggestion that it was an "inside job."  

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