Simone Gold, noted hydroxychloroquine advocate, was inside the Capitol during the riot

Investigations

‘I do regret being there’: Simone Gold, noted hydroxychloroquine advocate, was inside the Capitol during the riot

By Neena Satija
Jan. 12, 2021 at 8:05 a.m. EST

A doctor and outspoken critic of the coronavirus vaccine was among those who entered the Capitol building last week during the siege that disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

Simone Gold gained national attention in July when she and other physicians appeared in front of the Supreme Court for a sparsely attended news conference to decry pandemic lockdowns and criticize government efforts to stop the spread of the disease. Video of the event, organized by conservative activists, was retweeted by the president and viewed by millions before social media platforms took it down.

Gold confirmed to The Washington Post that she is the person pictured carrying a bullhorn on the Capitol grounds Wednesday in FBI and D.C. police bulletins seeking more information about individuals who were present.

Although dozens of Capitol Police officers were injured when they were overrun by pro-Trump protesters and one later died as a result, Gold said she did not witness any violence. ... “I can certainly speak to the place that I was, and it most emphatically was not a riot,” the California resident said in a phone interview Monday. “Where I was, was incredibly peaceful.” ... Gold confirmed that she went inside the Capitol, saying she followed a crowd and assumed that it was legal to do so. She said she has not been contacted by anyone in law enforcement.

{snip}

Neena Satija
Neena Satija has been an investigative reporter for The Washington Post since January 2019. She was previously an investigative reporter and radio producer for the Texas Tribune and Reveal, a national radio show and podcast. Follow https://twitter.com/neenareports