Michigan State Senate Leader Mike Shirkey apologizes for considering Capitol riot a hoax

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“These weren’t Trump people,” Shirkey said of the Jan. 6 riots in a video taken at a restaurant.

“This has been a hoax from day one, everything was pre-ordered,” Shirkey said, claiming that riot police “went on separate buses, all of this was organized by someone who funded everyone.”

“Why was there no more security? It was ridiculous, it was all staged,” he continued, before pointing out conspiracy theories that the Republican leadership, including Senate minority Mitch McConnell, was involved in some way and wondered how and why some victims occurred or were recorded.

Videos of the January 6 insurgency clearly indicate that many participants wore Donald Trump-themed clothing and filmed their actions themselves, and law enforcement officials have detailed the various communicative failures that contributed to how the federal response developed.

The recorded recording with Shirkey took place Feb. 3 at Spangler’s family restaurant in Jonesville, Michigan, Hillsdale County Republican Party Secretary Jon Smith told CNN that he posted the video on his YouTube personal page. “I didn’t trust him to be honest with me and I wanted to expose his lies and maybe I would need him to keep them for my own record,” Smith said of his reason for filming Shirkey.

The Detroit Metro Times first reported on Shirkey’s comments.
In a statement Tuesday, Shirkey acknowledged the videotape was legitimate and apologized for its comments.

“I said a few things in a video conversation that weren’t appropriate for the role I’m privileged to play,” he said. “I have it. I have a lot of flaws. Being passionate, along with an occasional tongue-in-cheek lapse, is at least two.”

He continued: “I regret the words I have chosen and I apologize for my insensitive comments.”

The statements come as the FBI and other law enforcement agencies continue to track down and prosecute dozens of those involved in the Capitol siege that killed five people, including a Capitol police officer. More than 200 had been loaded as of Tuesday afternoon.
So far, participants have come from various states and some have been linked to far-right groups. Active military personnel and veterans are overrepresented among the top 150 people arrested and a record of federal crimes in violence and insurgency is published at the U.S. Capitol, according to a CNN analysis of Pentagon records and court proceedings.

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