A former Washington, D.C. police officer who helped defend the Capitol during the January 6 riot had to be restrained after a heated confrontation with a prominent election denier during Jack Smith's first public testimony to Congress.
Michael Fanone, who was beaten and dragged down the Capitol steps during the 2021 attack, was watching the former special counsel's appearance before the House Judiciary Committee when Ivan Raiklin approached him during a recess. Raiklin, a Trump loyalist who calls himself "secretary of retribution," had amplified false claims urging then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject the 2020 election results.
Fanone repeatedly swore at Raiklin, calling him a "traitor to this f****** country" and accusing him of threatening his family. Fellow officers, including former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, had to hold Fanone back. Raiklin filmed the exchange and told Fanone he needed to control himself, while Fanone insisted he was exercising restraint.
The hearing saw Republican lawmakers accuse Smith of joining a Democratic conspiracy against President Trump, who has since pardoned more than 600 people charged in connection with the attack. At least 170 officers were injured during the riot, and four later died by suicide.
After the hearing, Fanone wrote on Substack that "restraint is the only thing preventing that moment from turning into something much worse" when someone who had made threats against his family approached him. Raiklin later accused Fanone of defamation and suggested he would sue.
