The man accused of planting five pipe bombs (IEDs) near the Democratic and Republican National Committee offices ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack reportedly voted for Republican candidate Donald Trump twice, according to his attorney.
The accused, 30-year-old Brian J. Cole Jr., was charged in December with transporting explosive devices across state lines and attempting to use them. He reportedly spent months learning how to build the devices through YouTube videos and video games, but did not test them.
The pipe bombs in Washington, DC, were discovered on January 6 shortly before the Capitol was breached. Brian J. Cole Jr. was the man who was involved in the premeditated attack, which was planted between 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm.
As per the BBC, Cole initially denied any involvement, but after hours of questioning, eventually admitted responsibility. Asked why he targeted the two party headquarters, he allegedly replied: “I really don’t like either party at this point.”
Cole has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Nearly five years after the attack, in an interview with Fox News, Cole’s lawyer, Mario Williams, confirmed his client voted for Donald Trump twice. Williams argued that President Trump’s sweeping pardon for January 6 defendants should apply to Cole, describing the case as “January 6 adjacent.”
According to The Daily Beast, the judge reportedly stated that since Cole’s case involves offenses related to events near the Capitol on that day, it could be included. He added, “We’re going to talk about that at a later date.”
Wow! The alleged DC Pipe Bomber Brian Cole Jr. apparently confessed and said he planted the pipe bombs because he believed the 2020 election was fraudulent.
Trump incited this! pic.twitter.com/Ay1CGvc34g
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) December 29, 2025
Meanwhile, in 2024, Donald Trump announced a January 6 pardon, granting full or commuted sentences to 14 people convicted of offenses tied to the incident. Authorities said they have extensive evidence against him, including records of purchases for bomb components, materials found in his home
The potential extension of the pardon to the pipe bomb case has sparked criticism, including comments from California Governor Gavin Newsom following Brian’s arrest.
Initially, Brian denied planting the pipe bombs until investigators presented surveillance images placing him near the scene. Police warned him of serious consequences for lying, leading him to reluctantly admit he was the man in the footage. Sources indicate the explosive devices were found close to the Capitol.
The FBI arrested Brian Cole, Jr. for allegedly planting pipe bombs in Washington, D.C. on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. https://t.co/Wlz4EOEkTd pic.twitter.com/2tbIcs2ens
— FOX 2 Detroit (@FOX2News) December 5, 2025
Brian purchased components for constructing the IEDs between 2019 and 2020 from several retailers in northern Virginia. Footage recovered by police showed one person, dressed in dark clothing, gloves, a face mask, and a backpack, planting the devices on January 5, 2021.
Investigators reported that Brian’s vehicle was detected by license plate readers near the Capitol shortly before the devices were planted. Additionally, cell phone records placed Cole in the vicinity of both the RNC and DNC during the relevant time, matching the suspect’s movements captured on surveillance footage.
The case has been investigated by the FBI, U.S. Capitol Police, ATF, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
