Tom Smith sort of stumbled into the Republican nomination in his Michigan House district. But based on dozens of posts he made on social media, Smith’s path to the Jan. 6, 2021 protests against President Donald Trump’s election loss was far more deliberate.
After unearthing the series of messages, which were posted to the X.com account for “Jar Head Salsa,” a business Smith has operated with his son in their hometown of Flint, TPM reached out to him for comment. In a statement, Smith said he did not participate in unlawful activity in conjunction with the protests, which turned violent as thousands of Trump’s supporters stormed into the U.S. Capitol.
“Like thousands of peaceful patriots, I attended President Trump’s rally in Washington. 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.
The “Jar Head Salsa” account provided an almost real-time narration of Smith’s train journey from Michigan to Washington D.C. for the protests. While multiple people are involved with the salsa business, several posts about Jan. 6 on the X account indicate Smith was the author including one made on last Aug. 27 that congratulated Brandon Straka, a pro-Trump influencer who was convicted for his role in the protest before being pardoned by the president, for setting up a “headquarters.”
“Happy for you, Brandon,” “Jar Head Salsa” declared, adding, “I was there on January 6th.”
Another message posted on the account a little over an hour later identified the author as “Tom from Flint.”
Smith, a staunchly pro-Trump retired auto industry executive, secured the GOP nomination in the race against incumbent Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI) after he had already withdrawn from the race. There has been rampant speculation that voters selected Smith, whose name was still on the ballot despite his early exit, because Trump’s pick for the seat had a Muslim name. Smith’s improbable rise is especially notable since the race is one of the potentially competitive seats where a Democrat won in a district where Trump was victorious in 2024. In the statement acknowledging his attendance at the Jan. 6 protest, Smith indicated his priority is fighting against McDonald Rivet and Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed.
“My focus is on delivering common sense results for Michigan and defeating Abdul El-Sayed’s partner in socialism Kristen McDonald Rivet at the ballot box this fall,” Smith told TPM.
In the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, which was prompted by Trump’s false claims that his loss in the 2020 election was the result of a conspiracy against him, “Jar Head Salsa” posted extensively about the efforts to reverse Trump’s defeat. The dozens of messages on the account, which are being printed here with all original grammatical errors intact, included prayers and encouragement for political figures who were working to overturn the vote and multiple promises to attend the main rally.
“All Trumps followers should head to DC on January 6th.!It will be epic and will change history,” the account declared on Dec. 25, 2020.
On the following day, “Jar Head Salsa” boasted, “I will be in DC on the 6th!!!!” Two days later, the account broadcast an even simpler version of that message: “January 6th in DC!!!”
“Jar Head Salsa” also provided a blow-by-blow journey of their trip from Michigan to the protest.
“I bought Amtrak tickets from Detroit to DC. $169 round trip. Eliminates the parking problem. Train Station is right by Capitol. Got a hotel room on Priceline for $74 a night. Arriving the 5th. Leaving the 8th,” they said on Dec. 22, 2020.
“Jar Head Salsa” repeatedly published variations of the message describing their travel arrangements. Once they set out for D.C., the account shared messages detailing every phase of the journey including a transfer in Ohio and their scheduled arrival time and desire to attend one of the rallies leading up to the main protest. Location tags on X showed them passing through Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland en route to Washington.
“I am on an Amtrak train heading to DC. Many Patriots aboard!!!” the account said.
“Jar Head Salsa” has been a prominent part of Smith’s unusual House race. His campaign’s Facebook page features a photo of Smith standing alongside jars of the salsa and signs noting his own family company endorsed him. The biography on Smith’s campaign website notes that “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.” A 2018 article from the Detroit Free Press identified Smith as the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Dave as his “business partner and creator of the salsa recipe.” Dave told the paper he came up with the salsa while serving as a cook in the U.S. Marines and the pair claimed they “give 10 percent of the net revenues to charities that support veterans.”
While Dave may have been the man behind the recipe, various missives on the brand’s X.com page indicate Smith served as the salsa company’s social media guru. On X, Dave was identified as “The Gunny,” which is shorthand for a Marine gunnery sergeant. Multiple messages on the account were signed “The Gunny’s Dad.” That nickname was also used in a post that was published on Dec. 24, 2020 in response to someone who indicated they were “thinking about going to DC on the 6th.”
“The Gunny’s Dad from Flint, Michigan is going,” the post said.
Other posts on the “Jar Head Salsa” page included Smith’s personal phone number and identified it as a way to contact “Gunny’s Dad.” And, in 2024, Smith apparently used the account to tout his efforts to campaign for Trump’s re-election. On Dec. 8, 2024, “Jar Head Salsa” congratulated former Republican National Committee Chairwoman Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, for her efforts during the campaign with a post that said, “Thanks Lara, Trump Team Captain Tom Smith.” As the 2024 race wound down, the “Jar Head Salsa” account repeatedly shared pictures that seemed to show Smith volunteering for Trump.
“I never served my country in the military but this is my chance to fight the communists as Trump Force 47 Captain,” the account said.
Based on campaign finance records, Smith set up his House campaign in May of this year. He did little campaigning or fundraising and, in July, made a post indicating he was dropping out and backing a rival. However, Smith’s exit from the race came too late for his name to be taken off the ballot. Trump had endorsed a former federal law enforcement officer, Amir Hassan, in the Republican primary. During the race, Hassan said he had converted to Christianity from Islam, but, as the Guardian noted in a recap, “social media commentary suggests Republican voters did not view Hassan’s conversion as authentic and were apprehensive about nominating a Muslim candidate.” GOP primary voters ultimately picked Smith’s name on the ballot despite his withdrawal.
Along with revealing Smith’s attendance at the Jan. 6 protest, the “Jar Head Salsa” account provides a glimpse into his politics following his strange and surprising primary victory. The page is filled with various right-wing memes and takes, including posts comparing Dr. Anthony Fauci to Nazis, calling former First Lady Michelle Obama a man, and one describing “Liberals/Deep State” as the biggest threat to the country. “Jar Head Salsa” also cheered on the Proud Boys and sought blessings for Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of their meeting last year.
“Dear God, Bless Presidents Trump and Putin abundantly; Expand their territory; Let Your Hand be upon them; Keep them from evil. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen,” the account said.
“Jar Head Salsa” also was a fixture in the replies of various right-wing influencers including in 2024 when they posted 13 different messages claiming to have been “awakened at 4:30 AM with a message from God for Dan Bongino.” And, while Smith insists he did nothing unlawful on Jan. 6, “Jar Head Salsa” clearly sympathized with the protesters who were arrested for their actions and later pardoned by Trump. On Dec. 21, 2024, “Jar Head Salsa” responded to a post from a pro-Trump account that called on people to “PRAY FOR J6 PRISONERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.”
“Amen,” they said.
