Sarah Palin claims Capitol rioters were Antifa masquerading as Trump supporters

Former Alaska governor describes violence as ‘mayhem’ caused by ‘yahoos’

Former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin has claimed without evidence that Capitol rioters may have been Antifa dressed as far-right Trump supporters.

Speaking to Fox News host Martha MacCallum on Wednesday, Ms Palin argued that it was unclear who was instigating the riots labelling the escalating violence “mayhem”.

“There’s so much frustration out there that some misguided very, very wrong-headed yahoos are out there causing this mayhem”, Ms Palin said.

“Keep in mind we don’t know who all were the instigators in this, of these, horrible things that happened today. I think a lot of it is the Antifa folks,” she added, citing "pictures" she had seen.

The commentary from Ms Palin came amid chaotic scenes of pro-Trump rioters who stormed the Capitol building attempting to overturn the election on Wednesday.

Antifa is a loose alliance of left-wing protesters based on anti-fascist beliefs, often targeted by the president as the driving force behind violence seen in several American cities during demonstrations.

Independent fact-checkers have reported that there is no evidence that the Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol were actually or mostly Antifa supporters.

Video and photographs from the scene show people wearing and waving Trump-branded paraphernalia and flags and major news outlets reported the groups as supporters of the president.

Ms Palin was far from the only Trump ally to promote the refrain that the pro-Trump rioters were “infiltrated” by outside “agitators”, namely Antifa, in an effort to embarrass the president.

Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani also took to Twitter on Thursday to suggest that Antifa had been involved in the violence, adding that this was “no excuse".

“Our cause is to obtain an honest vote and to end voter fraud before it becomes a permanent tactic of the enabled and media-protected Democrat Party,” he wrote.

“Violence is rejected, condemned and counterproductive. Antifa involvement is no excuse. It contradicts our values.”

Alabama Representative Mo Brooks labelled rioters: "ANTIFA fascists in backwards MAGA hats.”

The Daily Beast reported that Newsmax, a far-right station that has ardently supported Mr Trump and pushed misleading claims about election fraud, also pinned the violence on Antifa and Black Lives Matter.

Fox News host Sean Hannity also cast doubt on the identity of “agitators” in the riots, saying “those who truly support President Trump … do not support those that commit acts of violence”.

Following hours of chaos, Mr Trump issued a statement telling the rioters to “go home in peace” before adding that he loved the mob, calling them “special”.

“We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special. You've seen what happens you see the way, others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home and peace," he said.

Overwhelmingly, US commentators condemned the violence and Mr Trump’s muted response to rioters, with CNN anchor Jake Tapper calling the evening an “absolutely disgraceful moment in American history”.

"In my 60 years covering national politics, I've never seen anything like it. And frankly I hope I never do again. It’s pretty disturbing," Fox News Channel's Chris Wallace said, according to USA Today.

Washington DC police said four people died during the violent pro-Trump riot in the city, including a woman who was shot inside the Capitol. At least one improvised explosive device was said to have been found.