On Monday, BuzzFeed News published an exposé on Matt Braynard — a one-time staffer on former President Donald Trump's campaign who has emerged as one of the fiercest pushers of right-wing propaganda about the January 6 Capitol attack.
"Braynard, who worked for Trump for five months on the 2016 campaign before he was let go, has been Forrest Gumping his way through the postelection Trump universe," reported Sarah Mimms. "In December, he testified alongside Rudy Giuliani alleging mass voter fraud in Arizona. A week later, he told legislators in Georgia that he'd found 21,000 illegal ballots in the state (before his data was methodically torn apart by a Democratic legislator who tracked down several of the voters herself). He was a paid expert witness in three cases challenging the election results, none of which went anywhere."
After pro-Trump rioters attacked the Capitol based on these lies, Braynard was a key voice trying to whitewash their actions, continued the report.
He has led protests for the release of various rioters, calling them "political prisoners" even though only a small handful of violent and dangerous individuals were denied bail outright, and saying their release is "the modern civil rights struggle of our time." He has taken credit for the martyrization of Ashli Babbitt, a rioter who was shot while trying to force her way through a broken Capitol window; her cause has since been taken up by Trump himself.
Braynard is also organizing another rally for September 18, telling longtime far-right strategist Steve Bannon on his show that "it's going to be huge."
You can read more here.
