Ann Coulter goes after Tucker Carlson over Jan. 6 conspiracy theory

Conservative pundit Ann Coulter is calling out Tucker Carlson and other right-wing peers for pushing the Ray Epps Jan. 6 conspiracy theory.

After the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Epps, a former Marine, onetime Trump supporter, and former member of the Oath Keepers extremist group, became the target of a conspiracy theory that he was a secret government agent who incited the Capitol attack and prompted other Trump supporters into committing illegal acts.

In July, Epps announced a lawsuit against Fox News in Delaware Superior Court for alleged instances of defamation on Carlson’s former show.

In an interview with the New York Times‘ Jeremy Peters posted to X, formerly Twitter on Sunday, Coulter called out Carlson, a former Fox News personality, for propagating the theory about Epps’ involvement.

In September, Epps pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge by the Department of Justice for his role in the riot.

Michael Teter, an attorney representing Epps in a defamation case, told the Associated Press in September that Epps’ plea agreement is “powerful evidence of the absurdity of Fox News’ and Tucker Carlson’s lies that sought to turn Ray into a scapegoat for January 6.”

“Had Ray been charged earlier, Fox News would have called him a hero and political prisoner,” Teter said in an emailed statement to the Associated Press. “Instead, Fox News spread falsehoods about Ray that have cost him his livelihood and safety.”

In a recent interview on comedian Rosanne Barr’s podcast, Carlson said his coverage of Jan. 6, including his speculations on law enforcement involvement in the riot, led to his firing from Fox News in April.

Newsweek has reached out to Ann Coulter and Tucker Carlson for additional comment.

In the video posted to X, formerly Twitter, Coulter told Peters:

“I wanted to specifically talk about the Ray Epps case because, I mean, even people I like and I think are usually pretty sensible right-wingers. They are all down with the Ray Epps conspiracy theory,” began Coulter. “But the New York Times—sorry, I often hate the New York Times too—had a full and complete description of why Ray Epps was there, how he was defamed and had to sell his business, he was a true Trump supporter, he was going around with his nephew.

“The clip that Tucker kept playing of him saying ‘And then we’re going to go into the Capitol’ or something like that, that was the night before! The day of, he and the person he was whispering to both told the FBI separately ‘No, he was telling us don’t go in, don’t go in, don’t go in.'”

Coulter also noted the hardships Epps and his family have faced since the conspiracy theory began to spread.

“He [Epps] literally had to sell this going business he had in Arizona with his wife, it was a wedding venue. Now they’re in hiding.”