FBI Director Christopher Wray says Capitol attack was domestic terrorism

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray told lawmakers Tuesday that bureau officials have deemed the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Trump as domestic terrorism.

“The attack, that siege was criminal behavior, plain and simple, and it’s behavior that we, the FBI, view as domestic terrorism,” Mr. Wray said in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“January 6 is not an isolated incident,” he continued. “The problem of domestic terrorism isn’t going away.”

Mr. Wray said the FBI received more than 270,000 tips from Americans that have led agents to identify and arrest people who allegedly participated in the attack. Many of those tips have come from rioters’ relatives, he said.

“Citizens from around the country have sent us more than 270,000 digital media tips,” he said. “Some have even taken the painful step of turning in their family and friends.”

So far the FBI has charged more than 300 people allegedly involved in the riot, Mr. Wray said.

Mr. Wray said the bureau hasn’t seen any evidence that left-leaning violent extremist groups such as Antifa were involved in the deadly insurrection.

“We have not to date seen any evidence of anarchist violent extremists or people subscribed to Antifa in connection with the sixth,” he said.

“That doesn’t mean we’re not looking, and we’ll continue to look, but at the moment we have not seen that,” Mr. Wray continued.

Republicans on the committee have pressed Mr. Wray on violence and looting that occurred during last summer’s racial justice protests.