The National Fraternal Order of Police condemned Newsmax host Greg Kelly for dangerously speculating about an officer hurt during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
The FOP, the nation’s largest law enforcement labor union, called out Mr. Kelly from the police union’s Twitter account Wednesday, accusing the conservative commentator of using the platform to spread lies about Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone.
Officer Fanone is among the roughly 140 officers who sustained injuries defending the Capitol and Congress from Trump supporters irate about President Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
Posting on Twitter last month, Mr. Kelly said Officer Fanone seems to usually wear all black during interviews and wondered if he may have been mistaken by the mob as a uniformed member of the Antifa movement.
“Is it possible FANONE was mistaken for ANTIFA?” Mr. Kelly asked his Twitter followers on July 27. “He often, for media appearances, has worn all Black but no insignia, police patches, rank etc,” he said.
Two weeks later, the FOP fired back, calling him a “clown” and accusing him of spewing dangerous lies about the injured D.C. police officer.
“As law enforcement officers, we leave our personal politics at the station house door,” the police union said in a post tagging Mr. Kelly’s account.
“@gregkellyusa suggesting that hero Officer Fanone was mistaken for ANTIFA, despite the POLICE RIOT GEAR he was wearing, is downright dangerous. Don’t believe the lies being spewed by this clown,” it said.
Mr. Kelly responded later Thursday afternoon on Twitter: “Actually it’s DANGEROUS to suggest that it’s DANGEROUS to ask Legitimate questions about FANONE’s conduct.”
Testifying before lawmakers last month, Officer Fanone said he wore his uniform when he deployed to the Capitol on Jan. 6, in addition to a body camera that captured much of the violence that day.
“I was grabbed, beaten, tased, all while being called a traitor to my country,” Officer Fanone testified during the first public hearing of the House select committee established to investigate the events of Jan. 6.
“I remember thinking there was a very good chance I would be torn apart or shot to death with my own weapon,” he told lawmakers. “I thought of my four daughters who might lose their dad. I remain grateful that no member of Congress had to go through the violent assault that I experienced that day.”
Mr. Kelly, 52, has previously speculated that members of Antifa, short for anti-fascist, and other “outside infiltrators” were responsible for storming the Capitol building. There is no evidence of that occurring.
Numerous supporters of former President Trump documented themselves entering the Capitol, evidenced by photos and videos many shared online. Many of those have become evidence in court.
More than 500 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot, including dozens of defendants facing counts of conspiracy for allegedly plotting their actions with others.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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