Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Capitol Rioter Sobs During Interrogation While Claiming He Thought Trump Was 'Calling For Help'

Capitol Rioter Sobs During Interrogation While Claiming He Thought Trump Was 'Calling For Help'
@MacFarlaneNews/Twitter
Make us preferred on Google

A new video of a January 6 insurrectionist breaking down in tears during his FBI interrogation has gone viral after being made public by court order.

The clip is one of several in which rioter, Daniel Rodriguez, shares so-called "Big Lie" theories about the 2020 election and espouses allegiance to conspiracy theorists aligned with former Republican President Donald Trump.


But one moment stood out far beyond the others.

Rodriguez collapsed into sobs and told FBI investigators he attended the Capitol coup attempt at former Republican President Donald Trump's behest, in order to provide the "help" Trump was "asking for."

See the clip below.


Rodriguez has been charged with conspiracy, among other crimes, and is believed by the Justice Department to have helped plan the insurrection. He is also the man who tased Metropolitan Police Department officer Michael Fanone in the back of the neck until he went unconscious while he was being beaten nearly to death.

Rodriguez's testimony gives a startling glimpse into the role Trump himself played in the insurrection in the minds of his supporters. Rodriguez told the FBI that like so many other insurrectionists before him, he understood the President to be explicitly calling for them to storm the Capitol.

"Trump called us to DC."

He then broke down while explaining his reasoning.

"If he's the Commander in Chief of our country, and he's calling for help... I thought he was calling for help! I thought he was...
"I thought we were doing the right thing..."

The video clips also paint a bracing picture of the depth of delusion that seems to have gripped so many Trump supporters. Rodriguez spoke at length about conspiracy theories he believed and which he and other Trump supporters thought were the catalyst of an oncoming civil war.



He also spoke of having spent more than a decade following InfoWars host Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist infamous for claiming the Sandy Hook school massacre was staged and who has been one of the loudest voices in Trump's retinue of election fraud fabulists. Jones helped plan several "Stop the Steal" rallies that led to January 6.


Rodriguez's tearful claim about helping Trump was just one of the times he broke down during questioning. He also burst into tears when FBI agents showed him a video of Fanone's account of being tased, after which Rodriguez called himself "a piece of sh*t."

But on Twitter, Rodriguez's tears drew very little sympathy.










Many others responded to the videos by calling for the prosecution of the conspiracy theorists who have deluded people like Rodriguez.





In addition to conspiracy, Rodriguez's charges also include assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon; impeding, obstructing or interfering with law enforcement during the commission of a civil disorder that obstructs an official proceeding; and theft of government property.

He and his attorneys are attempting to have the videos of his interrogation deemed inadmissible in his forthcoming trial.

More from People/donald-trump

Target store sign
Marcin Golba/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Target Apologizes After Children's Clown Halloween Costume Called Out For Resembling Blackface

Each year, people post about American retailers jumping the gun on holidays. As soon as Halloween is over, the Christmas decor hits the shelves. And it seems as soon as the 4th of July displays came down, Halloween went up.

But now, in August, Target department stores is finding itself needing to apologize for part of their 2026 Halloween line of products.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jason Selvig speaking with Trump supporter
The Good Liars

Trump Supporter Goes Viral After Making Bonkers Claim About U.S. Secretly Being 'Under The Reign Of Great Britain'

One of President Donald Trump's supporters has gone viral after telling Jason Selvig of The Good Liars that Trump's "greatest accomplishment" is that he successfully regained control of the United States from Great Britain, which she said had ruled for "the last 125 years."

The British have not ruled the U.S. since relinquishing control of their former colonies under the Treaty of Paris, agreed to by both parties in 1783. But one woman attending a Trump rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has a different version of history at her disposal.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ben Carson
Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images

Ben Carson Dragged After 'Joking' That Hot Dogs Grow Out Of The Ground In Bizarre Speech

President Donald Trump's nutrition adviser Dr. Ben Carson was widely mocked after talking about introducing children to food that's "fresh from the ground" before "jokingly" using hot dogs as an example.

Carson was addressing attendees at an event to promote nutritious school meals from local farmers. At one point, he stressed the value in having young children taste freshly harvested vegetables, those straight from the soil.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot  of JD Vance
@atrupar/X

JD Vance Ripped After Claiming Cringey Gaffe About Canada During Speech Was A 'Freudian Slip'

As trade war tensions escalate between the United States and Canada, Vice President JD Vance is facing criticism after referring to Canada as a "state."

Vance's remark followed the collapse of Canada-U.S. negotiations over a new trade agreement before a midnight Friday deadline. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian vehicles starting in 2027.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anna Faris and son Jack
Michael Buckner/Variety/Getty Images

Anna Faris Praised After Sharing How She 'Challenges' Her 'Religious' Teen Son With Ex Chris Pratt

Anna Faris has begun to open up about one of the struggles she has in coparenting her 14-year-old son, Jack, with her ex-husband, Chris Pratt, which is navigating religious discussions as a non-religious person.

While appearing on Chelsea Handler's podcast, the Scary Movie star admitted that it's been a challenge to balance the two worlds.

Keep ReadingShow less