How the antifa conspiracy theory traveled from the fringe to the floor of Congress Rampant on fringe platforms, the claim that “anti-fascists” were inciting violence at the Capitol spread fast through right-wing media to Congress Aleszu Bajak and Javier Zarracina, USA TODAY Published 4:32 pm UTC Jan. 13, 2021 While much of America watched a mob of Trump supporters overrun police and break into the halls of Congress Wednesday afternoon, members of the far right chatted up an imaginary narrative of what was really going on. After weeks of planting the idea, dozens of extremists used social media to promote an idea with no basis in reality – that the people besieging the Capitol were actually far-left agitators disguised as Trump supporters.