Just shy of five years since two pipe bombs were planted outside the Republican Nation Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., a suspect is in custody.
Reports leaked Thursday morning that the FBI had arrested Brian Cole Jr. of Woodbridge, Virginia, for allegedly planting the explosives just blocks from the U.S. Capitol on January 5, 2021. At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Cole was in custody and had been charged with use of an explosive device. She said the investigation is ongoing, search warrants are still being executed, and additional charges could follow.
The Arrest
According to the attorney general, the “cold case languished for four years” under the Biden administration until FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino took over the bureau.
Bondi, Patel, and Bongino all emphasized that the arrest was not the result of a new tip or witness, but rather “good, diligent police work and prosecutorial work” that also involved U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
Pirro called the arrest “a huge win” because “it was like finding a needle in a haystack.” She said the FBI sifted through millions of pieces of data, like the sale of 233,000 blacks caps that matched the ones found on the explosive devices, in addition to wires, steel, and nine-volt batteries. Patel later put the number at “three million lines of information,” including cell phone data.
The FBI revealed then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was inside the DNC offices when the pipe bomb was discovered, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also passed by before it was found and removed. “These bombs did not explode, but they certainly could have,” Darren Cox, the Assistant Director in Charge at the FBI Washington Field Office, said. “Make no mistake, the alleged pipe bomber did terrorize our community.”
The Suspect
The officials offered little insight into Cole or a potential motive, but various news outlets have begun to publish information from sources. On Thursday’s show, Megyn reacted to the breaking news and what is known about the suspect so far.
Who Is Brian Cole?
Megyn breaks down the arrest of the alleged January 6 pipe bomber, new information and details on the suspect from the FBI, and more.
Alleged Ties to Antifa
Julie Kelly, editor of Declassified on Substack, joins Megyn to discuss what is known about Cole, reported ties to Antifa, and more.
You can check out Megyn’s full analysis by tuning in to episode 1,206 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.