Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Capitol Rioter's Lawyer Throws Trump All The Way Under The Bus In Blunt Opening Statement

Capitol Rioter's Lawyer Throws Trump All The Way Under The Bus In Blunt Opening Statement
Department of Justice (DOJ); Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Samuel Shamansky, the attorney for Dustin Byron Thompson—a January 6 defendant who is on trial for several charges including theft of government property—took a clear shot at former Republican President Donald Trump during his opening statement.

Shamansky told jurors Trump was "spewing lies" before a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol in a failed bid to overturn the results of the 2020 general election. He added Trump used his presidential authority to essentially "authorize this assault."


He went further, saying Thompson was acting at the direction of Trump and "his various conspirators" and added Trump was part of a "sinister plot" to get Thompson and other Trump supporters to "do his dirty work."

Notably, Shamansky said Thompson fell down a "rabbit hole" of conspiracy theories after losing his job earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thompson was influenced by an "echo chamber" of falsehoods that the election had been stolen, he said, and had chosen to act "accordingly."

Shamansky's statements were not a surprise given he'd stated in a February court filing he planned to argue at trial that Thompson was acting at Trump's behest.

At the time, he said he wanted to issue subpoenas to compel Trump and former New York City Mayor and Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to appear as witnesses, pointing to statements both men made at the "Stop the Steal" rally ahead of the attack.

Trump's call for his supporters to "fight like hell" and Giuliani's suggestion they should engage in a "trial by combat," Shamansky argued, offer ample evidence Thompson took their directions to heart.

Although a judge ultimately denied the subpoena request, they ruled jurors could listen to recordings of the speeches Trump and Giuliani gave at the rally.

While those following the trial acknowledged Trump had incited the insurrection, they felt Shamansky's defense would not absolve his client of responsibility for participating in it.




One of the more prominent faces to emerge from the January 6 insurrection has also made headlines for making claims in their defense.

In January 2022, Jacob Chansley—the infamous self-proclaimed "QAnon Shaman" who made headlines worldwide after he was photographed wearing a horned fur headdress and war paint in red, white, and blue while carrying a spear as he participated in the storming of the United States Capitol–claimed he was simply trying to "calm the crowd" during the attack.

Chansley, who is currently behind bars in Oklahoma serving a 41-month prison sentence, blamed the media for making him the public "face" of the attack.

His mother—who previously referred to her son as a "patriot"—suggested Trump invited everyone to go to the Capitol and stressed she is passionate "about how wrong I think it is that he [Chansley] is even doing any time at all."

Trump has continued to profess that he is the victim of a political smear campaign at the hands of Democrats.

In recent months, he has pledged to pardon rioters in the event he is re-elected and urged his supporters to protest in the event prosecutors officially charge him with financial crimes.

More from People/donald-trump

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting on religious liberty in education at the Museum of the Bible.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Trump criticized for downplaying domestic violence

Fair warning, dearest reader: This article discusses domestic violence and may be distressing to some readers. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, resources are available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

President Donald Trump has hit plenty of lows, but brushing off domestic violence at the Museum of the Bible may be a new entry in the hall of shame.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk; Scott Bessent
Tom Brenner For The Washington Post via Getty Images; Noam Galai/Getty Images

Musk Seemingly Reignites Black Eye Rumors With Reaction To Treasury Secretary's Latest Threat

So much has happened since May it might be hard to remember the days when Elon Musk was photographed in the Oval Office with a big ol' black eye.

But the internet certainly hasn't forgotten, and neither has Musk, who posted a cryptic X post seemingly referencing the alleged altercation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Nico Gramatica and Chase Leon embracing
ESPN

Players' hug after big win

College football season is back, baby, and apparently so is football romance.

The University of South Florida Bulls, who rolled into Gainesville as 18-point underdogs against the No. 15 Gators, pulled off a 20-yard nail-biter win. But instead of just celebrating the upset, kicker Nico Gramatica and punter Chase Leon gave fans something else to cheer about: a slow-motion-worthy embrace that had Twitter, Instagram, and everyone with a romcom fantasy spiraling.

Keep ReadingShow less
A damaged room covered in grafitti
a run down room with graffiti all over the walls
Photo by Dillon Wanner on Unsplash

'Rage Room' Employees Describe The Most Unhinged Customers They've Encountered

Even the most even-tempered people have found themselves overcome with rage at one point or another.

Sometimes, the best way to deal with rage is to find an outlet for it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Jeffrey Epstein
XNY/Star Max/GC Images; Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Dems Release Trump's Birthday Letter To Epstein That Trump Claimed Doesn't Exist—And It's A Big Yikes

Democrats serving on the House of Representatives Oversight Committee released a screenshot of a letter MAGA Republican President Donald Trump claimed didn't exist when The Wall Street Journal published reports of its existence back in July.

The note signed by Trump was included in a collection of messages sent to convicted sex offender and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003—only three years before the first allegations about Epstein's crimes went public.

Keep ReadingShow less