Pod Force One Minisode Summary:

Episode Overview

Title: PF1 Minisode: How Did Biden's FBI Fumble the J6 Pipe Bomb Mystery?
Host: Miranda Devine, New York Post columnist
Original Air Date: December 8, 2025

In this tightly focused minisode, Miranda Devine examines the enduring enigma of the January 6th pipe bombs. Despite the recent arrest of Brian Cole Jr., Devine questions how, after nearly five years and a massive federal manhunt, the FBI only now claims to have solved the case—apparently with no major new evidence. She interrogates the FBI's narrative, highlights irregularities in the investigation, and scrutinizes possible political motivations behind the Bureau's actions (and inaction). Throughout, the episode is seasoned with skepticism, detailed references, and pointed criticism of both the FBI and the Biden administration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background: The Pipe Bomb Case & Recent Arrest

• Devine introduces the core mystery: Who planted the January 6th pipe bombs? ([00:20])
• Arrest of Brian Cole Jr., a 30-year-old Black man described as a “loner” with developmental challenges, comes “out of the blue” without new evidence. ([00:58])
• Family claims of Cole’s incapacity:
  • “Very naive… almost autistic like because he doesn’t understand a lot of stuff. He’s slow, he may be 30 but he’s got the mind of a 16 year old.”
    — Loretta Cole, Brian’s grandmother ([01:28])

2. FBI Investigation—Competence or Negligence?

• FBI leaders (Kash Patel and Pam Bondi) blame incompetence or “negligence” for the years-long failure ([02:00]).
• Devine questions: Was it mere incompetence, or something more deliberate?
  • “Patel hinted on Friday at a reason that the FBI under Wray during the Biden administration may not have wanted to solve the case. He said, ‘intentional negligence.’” ([02:18])
• Contradiction Highlighted:
  • How did the FBI locate and charge over 1,500 Trump supporters using advanced tech, yet failed to trace the pipe bomber’s phone seen in surveillance tapes? ([02:37])

3. Cell Data, Surveillance, and Exclusion Lists

• Surveillance identified 186 cell phone numbers of interest, with significant investigative work in early months post-J6 ([03:16]).
• Oddly, 51 phones quickly excluded because they belonged to “law enforcement officers or persons on the exclusion list.” ([04:23])
• Devine points out the FBI never told Congress what became of the leads involving these phones.

4. The “Corrupted Data” Excuse Debunked

• Steve D’Antuono (ex-DC FBI field office head) testified about “corrupted” cell provider data as an investigation roadblock:
  • “‘We did a complete geofence, but there’s some data that was corrupted by one of the providers… it just was an unusual circumstance… I can’t remember right now which one, but for that day, which is awful because we don’t have that information to search.’” ([05:04])
• Contradicted: All three cell providers later confirmed that they “did not provide corrupted data to the FBI and that the FBI never notified them of any issues…” ([06:18])

5. Surveillance Video Mysteries

• FBI amassed 39,000 video files of the suspect but released only low-res, non-identifying images ([06:45]).
• Mention of a “blur bar” (pixelation effect) possibly covering the suspect’s face—either deliberate or due to goggles—raises suspicion.
  • “Nobody recognized the suspect, perhaps by design.” ([07:19])
• Question Raised:
  • Why, despite such resources, did the Bureau fail to produce any clear identification for the public?

6. Shifts in Investigative Focus

• FBI initially pursued “promising leads” but, by February 2021, diverted resources away from the pipe bomb investigation ([07:38]).
• Priority shifted to the prosecution of J6 trespassers, especially focused on Trump supporters.

7. Political Context & Narrative Control

• Devine underscores the Biden administration’s and FBI’s desire to maintain a narrative of J6 as a “white supremacist insurrection.”
• Hypothesis: Arresting a Black man as the pipe bomber would undermine this narrative.
  • “Maybe the answer to the mystery is as simple as the fact that Wray’s FBI just didn’t want to look too closely at a suspect who would wreck the White House’s narrative.” ([09:02])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “How on earth did Joe Biden’s FBI miss what was right in front of them?” — Miranda Devine ([00:30])
• “Patel hinted on Friday at a reason…‘intentional negligence.’” — Miranda Devine, quoting Kash Patel ([02:18])
• “The FBI…managed to round up and charge 1500 Trump supporters…Yet with all their technical ability, Wray’s FBI somehow missed the phone used by the suspect…” — Miranda Devine ([02:45])
• Regarding law enforcement exclusion:
  • “Because, curiously enough, the phones belonged to law enforcement officers or persons on the exclusion list…” ([04:23])
• “We did a complete geofence…but there’s some data that was corrupted by one of the providers…which is awful because we don’t have that information to search.” — Steve D’Antuono, quoted ([05:07])
• “All three of the cell phone carriers contacted by Loudermilk’s subcommittee confirmed that they did not provide corrupted data…” ([06:18])
• “None of that was true, of course. In the wake of Biden’s insane racial pandering… it would have been most inconvenient if a black man was the pipe bomber.” — Miranda Devine ([08:31])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – Episode intro and framing: the persistent mystery of the J6 pipe bombs
• 00:58 – Details about suspect Brian Cole Jr. and family defense
• 02:00 – FBI’s explanation: incompetence, negligence, and suggestion of "intentional negligence"
• 03:10 – Discussion of cell phone data and the exclusion of law enforcement-related devices
• 04:23 – Law enforcement phones and Congressional investigation
• 05:04 – The “corrupted data” story from Steve D’Antuono
• 06:18 – Cell phone carriers refute the corrupted data story
• 06:45 – FBI’s extensive video collection but lack of useful public images
• 07:38 – FBI shifts focus away from the pipe bomb case
• 08:31 – Host’s theory: political motivations and narrative maintenance
• 09:02 – Episode wrap-up and teaser for next episode

Tone & Style Notes

• Miranda Devine’s delivery is resolutely skeptical, frequently biting, and politically charged.
• The episode mixes investigative detail, quoted Congressional inquiry, and pointed editorializing about FBI, DOJ, and Democratic Party priorities.
• The overall tone is incredulous toward official explanations, probing, and geared toward an audience critical of governmental and media narratives about January 6th.

For listeners seeking a critical view on the FBI’s pipe bomb investigation, this minisode delivers a dense, challenging summary, raising as many questions as it claims to answer.