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

Patrick Stewart
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Tributes Pour In For 'Star Trek' And 'X-Men' Icon Patrick Stewart After His Death At 86

On Thursday, people received the news of the passing of lauded stage, TV, and screen actor Sir Patrick Stewart. Already an accomplished actor in his beloved Britain, in 1987 Sir Patrick gained international fame as he joined Starfleet and the Star Trek universe for the first new television series since 1969.

For the next seven seasons, Captain Jean-Luc Picard would command the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) on Star Trek: The Next Generation on the small screen, then follow as it made the leap to the silver screen where Stewart would play the role for four feature films. He would don the uniform again for his own series, Picard, for three seasons.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jesse Ventura; Donald Trump
KSTP-TV; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Jesse Ventura Brutally Rips 'Coward' Trump For Avoiding Military Service After Trump Touts Himself As Great Military Leader

Minneapolis-born ex-pro-wrestler and former Reform Party Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura minced no words when he shared how he feels about MAGA Republican President Donald Trump.

Once rumored to be a potential running mate for the former reality star President, Ventura has been a very vocal critic of Trump for some time.

Keep ReadingShow less

Robert Irwin Hilariously Mortified After Prince William Makes 'Python' Joke About His Racy Photoshoot

Prince William has a sense of humor. I know. I'm processing this information, too.

The future king made an unexpected detour into comedy during The Graham Norton Show, where Robert Irwin's infamous underwear photoshoot became the evening's main attraction. Unfortunately for Irwin, William had questions. Well, more like observations.

Keep ReadingShow less
TikToker @kori_latham; Luke Skywalker from 'Star Wars'
@kori_latham/TikTok; Disney/LucasFilm

TikTok Mom's Church Outfit Gets Hilariously Roasted By Her 10-Year-Old With Brutal 'Star Wars' Comparison

There's nothing like finding an outfit that you love and feel really confident in, only to realize that you bear an uncanny resemblance to a popular film's costume stylings.

And that's exactly what happened to TikToker @kori_latham, who was getting dressed for church.

Keep ReadingShow less
Newborn baby with full mustache
@MarioNawfal/X

Viral Video Of Newborn Baby Allegedly Born With Full Mustache Sparks Flurry Of Hilarious Jokes

Some people are born to make an entrance—but one baby took that so seriously that he immediately became an internet meme when he was born, thanks to rocking a full mustache.

Parents are typically "warned" about little "abnormalities" they might notice when their babies are born, like birthmarks, a lot of hair on their head, no hair on their head, different eye colors, and maybe even a little facial hair.

Keep ReadingShow less