Michael Stenger, a former United States Sergeant at Arms, died on Monday, June 27, at the age of 71. Chad Pergram of Fox News broke the news of his death and published it on Twitter. Meanwhile, Politico claimed that Stenger’s former colleagues and acquaintances were presumably informed of his untimely death on Monday afternoon. No formal cause of death has been revealed to the public as of yet.
Prior to joining the US Secret Service, Stenger served as a captain in the United States Marine Corps. The stated New Jersey native was appointed as the 41st Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate in April 2018 and retired in January 2021.
1) Fox confirms that Michael Stenger, the Senate Sergeant at Arms who was in charge of Senate security the day of the Capitol riot, has died.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 27, 2022
Michael Stenger’s death has sparked conspiracy theories.
Following the short news of Michael Stenger’s death, many internet users speculated on what may have caused his death. The newly announced inquiry of the 2021 United States Capitol riot has sparked curiosity about the reason for Stenger’s death. While authorities close to Stenger have not established the official cause of death, multiple tweets have alleged that the former Sergeant at Arms was shot.
The committee investigating the Capitol Hill assault (which happened on January 6, 2021) was scheduled to hear Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony on Tuesday, June 28. Hutchinson, according to sources, would be the first White House official to testify regarding the January 6 assault on the US Capitol.
However, conspiracy rumors about Stenger’s death grew when the surprise witness and her testimony were revealed on Monday, only a day before the real date of the unscheduled hearing. According to The New York Times, Michael Stenger and Paul Irving, who were also the US Sergeant at Arms at the time, turned down Capitol Police’s request for extra assistance. Prior to the January 6 assault, the Capitol Police allegedly requested the deployment of the National Guard on standby.
Meanwhile, Irving alleged that the Capitol Police did not seek extra assistance until the assault was well underway. According to Newsweek, the assertion seems to be false, as shown by phone records.
Netizens respond to Michael Stenger’s death with conspiracy theories.
Following Michael Stenger’s death, multiple tweets sought to make the link with Cassidy Hutchinson’s hearing on the Capitol Hill Riots on Tuesday. Some even brought up Stenger’s earlier testimony allegations. Stenger described the event as “a brutal, organized assault where the loss of life may have been far greater” in his February 2021 testimony. In addition, he stated:
“There is still time to learn from the events of January 6… Investigations into the financing and travel of what seem to be professional agitators should be conducted.”
