• Ray Epps, a former Trump supporter, became a target of January 6 conspiracy theories.
  • Tucker Carlson pushed a theory baselessly claiming that Epps incited the Capitol riot.
  • Epps told “60 Minutes” that Carlson was “obsessed” with him and was trying to “destroy” his life.

Ray Epps, a Trump supporter who went into hiding after becoming the target of a January 6 conspiracy theory, recently told “60 Minutes” that Tucker Carlson was “obsessed” with him.

In an interview that aired Sunday, Epps told “60 Minutes” that Carlson was “going to any means possible to destroy my life.”

“He’s obsessed with me,” Epps also said.

On Monday, Fox News announced that Carlson was leaving the network. It didn’t give a reason for his departure. 

Epps, a 61-year-old Marine veteran and former business owner from Arizona, has been the center of a baseless theory claiming he worked for the FBI and helped incite the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

The theory comes from some on the far right seeking to blame the insurrection on federal agents, who they’ve claimed wanted a reason to provoke a crackdown on conservatives.

The conspiracy theories have been pushed by a group of people, including Carlson, former President Donald Trump, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Carlson had mentioned Epps on his show “Tucker Carlson Tonight” half a dozen times this year, “60 Minutes” reported.

Epps told “60 Minutes” that he thought Carlson continued to cover the conspiracy theory “to shift blame on somebody else.”

“If you look at it, Fox News, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ted Cruz, Gaetz, they’re all telling us before this thing it was stolen,” Epps said, referring to Rep. Matt Gaetz. “So, you tell me, who has more impact on people: them or me?”

Fox News didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

The conspiracy theory derives from a series of videos on social media that show Epps directing the crowd to the Capitol.

Epps went to Washington, DC, to show his support for Trump, but he has said he never entered the Capitol and left before 3 p.m. on the day of the riot. He hasn’t been charged in relation to the attack.

He was never arrested, prompting some right-wing groups to accuse him of being an undercover FBI agent who wanted to stir up violence.

The FBI denied the claim, telling “60 Minutes”: “Ray Epps has never been an FBI source or an FBI employee.” Epps has also repeatedly denied claims linking him to the FBI.

The conspiratorial coverage eventually forced Epps and his wife to go into hiding after they received death threats, including a letter saying that Mexican cartel members were planning to kill him.

The couple ended up selling their home and moving into an RV somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. Epps told The New York Times that he had lost hundreds of thousands of dollars after he was also forced to sell his business.

“Some people have said: ‘Well just let it go and let it die down,’” his wife, Robin, told “60 Minutes.” “What they don’t understand is that it doesn’t.”

April 24, 2023: This story has been updated with news of Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News.

Correction: April 24, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misquoted Ray Epps. He has repeatedly denied, rather than spread, claims that he’s an FBI agent.

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