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

Billy McFarland
Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Billy McFarland Just Auctioned Off The Fyre Festival Brand On eBay—And McFarland's Reaction Says It All

You know Billy McFarland, the supposed impresario who went to jail when his tropical Fyre Festival music bash went up in flames and stranded hundreds of people on a completely deserted Caribbean island?

Well, the ultimate grifter is out of jail, and after yet another failed attempt at scamming people with a reborn Fyre Festival in 2024, he's now conned someone into buying the fest's brand—by auctioning it off on eBay.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barack Obama; Michelle Obama
IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson/YouTube

Barack And Michelle Obama Shoot Down Divorce Rumors: 'Don't Make Me Cry Now'

On Wednesday, former Democratic President Barack Obama appeared on the IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson podcast. In the almost one and a half hour episode, the former POTUS, FLOTUS, and Mrs. Obama's elder brother covered a number of topics.

But one that drew considerable attention was when the former first couple addressed rumors of a possible divorce in their future.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nick Offerman
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO

Nick Offerman Explains Why Ron Swanson Would Have 'Despised Trump' In Response To 'Dumb' Fan Theory

Speaking to IndieWire, actor Nick Offerman, best known for playing Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation, put to rest "dumb" fan theories that the iconic character, a proud libertarian, would have backed President Donald Trump and his administration.

Offerman portrayed Ron on all seven seasons of the NBC sitcom, which aired 126 episodes from 2009 to 2015. He is protective of the character and has pushed back against efforts to co-opt Ron Swanson for causes the character would not endorse.

Keep ReadingShow less

Disturbing Facts People Wish They Could Unlearn

Why are humans gluttons for punishment?

Maybe it's just me.

Keep ReadingShow less
A young, pretty red-haired girl hides her mouth and looks sheepishly into the camera. She stands in front of a dark green background.
Photo by JJ Jordan on Unsplash

People Who Slept With Their Friend's Parent Explain How It All Went Down

The taboos of sex are often too tempting to resist.

One of the greatest pulls is the option to sleep with one (or more) of your friend's hot parents.

Keep ReadingShow less