In a Facebook live-stream, Health and Human Services spokesperson Michael Caputo claimed without evidence that armed, left-wing militants are preparing for insurrection and that gun owners should stock up on ammunition. He said Joe Biden would refuse to concede the election and that “when Donald Trump refuses to stand down at the inauguration, the shooting will begin.” He also spewed conspiracy theories related to the coronavirus pandemic, accusing government scientists of sedition against Trump, and members of the CDC of forming an anti-Trump “resistance unit” to undermine him. Separately, Caputo went on a Twitter rampage in which he called for tear-gassing reporters, among other things. His account appeared to have been disabled Monday.

Meanwhile, House Democrats say they are investigating a recent report that political appointees at HHS, including Michael Caputo, have reviewed and altered weekly coronavirus reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to support Trump’s optimistic messaging about the pandemic.