Suspected January 6 Bomber Confesses — Felt Compelled to ‘Speak Up’ for 2020 Election Deniers

The man charged with planting pipe bombs in Washington, D.C. the night before the January 6 Capitol riot waived his Miranda rights after his arrest and gave authorities a detailed confession explaining his motives.

In just released court documents on Sunday,  Brian J. Cole, Jr. of Woodbridge, VA, recounted how he allegedly constructed and planted two improvised explosive devices outside the offices of the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters, after first denying involvement.

He said he planted the bombs because he felt “someone needs to speak up” for those who believed the 2020 election was rigged. He also said he was upset people were being labeled “fascists” and “Nazis” for questioning the election.

Cole told agents in the FBI’s Washington Field Office that he drove to D.C. on Jan. 5, 2021, to attend a protest over Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election.

“The defendant explained: ‘I didn’t agree with what people were doing, like just telling half the country that they – that their – that they just need to ignore it. I didn’t think that was a good idea, so I went to the protest,'” the court record said.

The report continued:

The defendant “has never really been an openly political person” and does not discuss politics often with his family to avoid conflict. According to the defendant, “no one knows” his political views, including his family. The defendant stated that he does not align politically with his family members and did not tell them
that he “was going to a protest in support of [then President] Trump.”

Later in the interview, the defendant explained that after the 2020 election, “when it first seemed like something was wrong” and “stuff started happening,” he began following the issue closely on YouTube and Reddit and felt “bewildered.” In the defendant’s view, if people “feel that, you know, something as important as voting in the federal election is being tampered with, is being, you know, being – you know, relegated null and void, then, like, someone needs to speak up, right? Someone up top. You know, just to, just to at the very least calm things down.”

The defendant felt that “the people up top,” including “people on both sides, public figures,” should not “ignore[e] people’s grievances” or call them “conspiracy theorists,” “bad people,” “Nazis,” or “fascists.” Instead, “if people feel that their votes are like just being thrown away, then . . . at the very least someone should address it.”

Cole was arrested Dec. 4 and charged with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce with the intent to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual…or property. He is also charged with attempted malicious destruction by means of fire and explosive materials.

His detention hearing is scheduled for December 30.

Watch MS NOW’s report above.