Mo Brooks reveals he wore body armour to Trump rally before Capitol riot

His admission comes as the investigating House select committee holds its first hearings

Representative Mo Brooks has told a reporter that he was wearing body armour during his notorious speech on 6 January, when he encouraged Trump rally attendees to “start taking down names and kicking ass”.

It was a speech that has caused him serious ongoing legal issues. Earlier this year, Mr Brooks and others were sued for fomenting the 6 January riot, in which hundreds of Trump supporters breached the Capitol building to protest the 2020 election results.

This week the Justice Department refused Mr Brooks’ request to shield him from the lawsuit, in part because he said that during the rally, he had not been acting as an elected official, but as a politician seeking to influence future elections, reports Slate.