Jack Posobiec challenges Rep. Adam Kinzinger to debate over Jan 6 in public

As Rep. Adam Kinzinger continues to be grilled on social media over his surprising, if confusing defense of Ray Epps, an alleged insurrectionist, conservative commentator and Human Events Daily host Jack Posobiec challenged the congressman from Illinois to a debate on his popular podcast.

“I would be happy to invite @AdamKinzinger to any @TPUSA event anywhere in the country,” wrote Posobiec on Twitter. “Lets settle this in person. In front of thousands,” he said.

Ray Epps, whom Kinzinger thanked for speaking to Nancy Pelosi’s Jan.6 committee, is by Kinzinger’s own standards an insurrectionist. Epps was caught on video calling for protesters to storm the US Capitol ahead of January 6, on two occasions.

“Dinky @AdamKinzinger is triggered by my flair and is so upset that he is about to cry again,” wrote Posobiec earlier Wednesday. “But don't worry, Adam. You can get a brand new pillow to cry into at a great deal at http://MyPillow.com with promocode Poso! They even make them in your size (which is small).”

The Illinois congressman replied on Twitter, but did not take the opportunity to engage in a debate.

“Awe Jack, it’s cute watching your fear.  But your narrative is a lie.  You have been lying for fame and retweets,” wrote Kinzinger. “Also i noticed you wear your navy intel badge on your suit.  Cool.”

During the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding Jan. 6 and domestic terrorism on Tuesday, Senator Ted Cruz engaged the FBI's Jill Sanborn in questioning about Ray Epps.

"On the night of January 5, 2021, Epps wandered around the crowd that had gathered, and there's video of him out there chanting 'tomorrow, we need to get into the Capitol.' This was strange behavior," Cruz said, "so strange that the crowd began chanting 'fed fed fed.'"

"Was Ray Epps a fed?" Cruz asked. Sanborn did not offer an answer either way. "Shortly thereafter," Cruz went on, "the FBI put out a public post listing, seeking information on individuals connected with violent crimes on January 6. Among those individuals... is Mr. Reps. The FBI publicly asked for information, identifying, offering cash rewards leading to information leading to the arrest."

"This was posted and then sometime later," Cruz continued, "magically, Mr. Epps just disappeared from the public posting, according to public records, Mr. Epps has not been charged with anything. No one's explained why a person videoed urging people to go to the Capitol, a person whose conduct was so suspect the crowd believed he was a fed would magically disappear from the list of people the FBI was looking at."

"Miss Sanborn," Cruz asked, "a lot of Americans are concerned that the federal government deliberately encouraged illegal unlawful conduct on January 6. My question to you, and this is not an ordinary law enforcement question, this is a question of public accountability. Did federal agents are those in service of federal agent actively encouraged violent and criminal conduct on January sixth?"

"Not to my knowledge, sir," Sanborn replied.

That did not stop other senators from asking their own questions about Epps. Senator Tom Cotton also had questions about the mysterious man that Democrats have alleged they have interviewed, though records of that interview has not been made available to Republican lawmakers.

"During the Jan. 6 riots last year," Cotton said, "Mr. Epps was caught on video several times. He seemed to encourage people to enter the Capitol, to break down police barriers. Video from the rallies — from the rally down the National Mall earlier that day shows him doing the same thing. Video even from the night before, shows him encouraging people to enter the Capitol."

"Ray Epps lives in Arizona," Cotton continued, "he didn't exactly go underground after Jan. 6, even gave an interview to local media, and he was well known to the Department of Justice. He was on the FBI's Capital riot Most Wanted page just days after Jan. 6," said Cotton, noting that Epps was one of the first 16 people added to the most wanted page of the Department of Justice's website after the riot."

"It does not appear that he's been arrested or charged any offense in July," Cotton said. "Without explanation he was removed from the FBIs Most Wanted page, Mr. Olson who is Ray Epps, and why was he removed from the FBI's most wanted list?"

"Senator, I don't have any information about that individual I would differ to Ms. Sanborn for any additional information," said Matthew Olsen of the DOJ.

The FBI originally had Epps listed as a suspect and asked the public to help identify, but he was quickly removed and was never charged, raising obvious red flags. The Jan. 6 committee since released a statement that they had spoken to Epps and found nothing of interest to report.

"The Select Committee is aware of unsupported claims that Ray Epps was an F.B.I. informant based on the fact that he was on the F.B.I. wanted list and then was removed from that list without being charged," the statement read. "The Select Committee has interviewed Mr. Epps. Mr. Epps informed us that he was not employed by, working with or acting at the direction of any law enforcement agency on Jan. 5 or 6 or at any other time, and that he has never been an informant for the F.B.I. or any other law enforcement agency."