Michigan GOP candidate Tom Smith confirms he attended Jan. 6 protest
Smith suspended his campaign in July and won the Republican primary anyway, beating Trump’s endorsed candidate by 17 points. Posts from his family business account, and his own statement, place him at Trump’s Jan. 6 rally.
Unearthed social media posts show that Tom Smith, the Republican candidate for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, attended President Donald Trump’s speech in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021 that preceding riots. The 8th covers Flint, Bay City, Saginaw and Midland.
Talking Points Memo first reported on dozens of posts from the X account of “Jar Head Salsa,” a Flint business Smith operates with his Marine veteran son. The posts describe the user’s journey to D.C. alongside a history of far-right posting. The account detailed Smith’s round-trip Amtrak travel from Michigan, hotel rates, location tags and repeated calls for Trump supporters to gather in Washington.
“In 2009, Tom turned his lifelong entrepreneurial dream into reality by launching Jar Head Salsa alongside his son Dave, a proud U.S. Marine Corps Veteran,” Smith’s campaign website says.
The X account refers to David Smith as “The Gunny,” referencing his Gunnery Sergeant rank in the Marine Corps. Numerous other posts suggest that Tom Smith runs the X account, as it refers to itself as “the Gunny’s dad.”
In a statement to Talking Points Memo (TPM), Smith confirmed attending the Jan. 6 rally but denied entering the Capitol or engaging in unlawful activity, maintaining that he returned to his hotel after listening to Trump’s speech. Smith emphasized that his campaign priority remains defeating McDonald Rivet in the fall election.
“Like thousands of peaceful patriots, I attended President Trump’s rally in Washington,” Smith said. “After braving the cold for several hours and listening to the President, I returned to my hotel. I did not enter the Capitol or trespass on restricted grounds,” Smith said.
Even though he suspended his campaign in July, Smith won the GOP primary for the state’s 8th Congressional District on Aug. 4. Smith secured 50.4%, or 31,149 votes, despite President Donald Trump endorsing Amir Hassan in the race. Hassan took home 33.2%, amounting to 20,506 votes.
Smith will face incumbent U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI) in the Nov. 3 general election. Rivet was first elected in 2024, winning the swing district while Trump carried it in the presidential election.
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