The January 6, 2021, protest at the U.S. Capitol has been widely described as an insurrection, but there are compelling arguments suggesting it was more of a government-staged psychological operation (psyop) aimed at discrediting the MAGA movement and providing a narrative to justify the certification of what some claim was an illegitimate election. Firstly, the event's timing was suspiciously convenient for those who wanted to shift focus away from allegations of election fraud. The protest occurred just as Congress was about to certify the electoral votes, potentially serving as a distraction from any last-minute objections to the process. Furthermore, the lack of security measures in place, despite prior warnings of potential violence, suggests either gross incompetence or intentional facilitation of the event to create chaos.
 

Secondly, there are claims of government involvement, notably from former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who has spoken about being denied additional security measures. This narrative is supported by the fact that the Capitol Police were reportedly ordered to stand down, allowing protesters to enter the Capitol with relative ease. Some argue this indicates a setup, where the government deliberately allowed the breach to occur to paint MAGA supporters as violent extremists. This perspective is echoed in posts on social media and by some conservative commentators who suggest that the presence of FBI informants or agents provocateur within the crowd might have escalated the peaceful protest into something more violent, thereby justifying the subsequent crackdown on the Trump-supporting movement.
 

Lastly, the aftermath of January 6 has been used to enact policy changes and legislative measures that critics argue were designed to silence dissent regarding the election's integrity. The swift labeling of the event as an "insurrection" led to heightened scrutiny, censorship of conservative voices on social media platforms, and the introduction of laws aimed at preventing similar events in the future, which some see as an infringement on free speech and assembly rights. This interpretation posits that the event was not only a means to discredit a political movement but also to enforce a narrative that the election was legitimate, despite the ongoing debates and legal challenges at the time. The lack of conclusive evidence linking the riot directly to Trump's explicit instructions for violence, combined with these observations, fuels the argument that January 6 was a staged operation for political gain.