Jacob Chansley—known widely as the "QAnon Shaman" for his participation in the January 6 insurrection—was criticized after he spoke to Newsnight's Victoria Derbyshire about his pardon from President Donald Trump, opting to dance around the question about why he pleaded guilty while bizarrely speaking with a fake English accent.
On Monday, after getting news of his pardon from Trump, Chansley celebrated with a post on X, writing:
"JUST GOT THE NEWS FROM MY LAWYER... I GOT A PARDON BABY! THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP!!! NOW I AM GONNA BUY SOME MOTHA FU*KIN GUNS!!! I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!! J6ers are getting released & JUSTICE HAS COME... EVERYTHING done in the dark WILL come to light!"
You can see his post below.
Chansley 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 attack on Capitol.
RELATED: Capitol Officer Slams Trump For Pardoning Jan. 6 Rioters: 'I Have Been Betrayed By My Country'
After receiving his prison sentence, he continued to profess his innocence, claiming he was simply trying to "calm the crowd" during the breach.
As one of the earliest intruders during the attack, Chansley faced legal repercussions, eventually pleading guilty to his involvement in the riot that, spurred by Trump's lies that the 2020 general election had been stolen, attempted to stop the electoral certification of former President Joe Biden's win. Following a 27-month stint in prison out of a 41-month sentence, he expressed a desire to retract his guilty plea.
However, rioters imprisoned for their involvement in the attack were released, and judges began dismissing dozens of pending cases on Tuesday following Trump’s sweeping grant of clemency to all 1,500-plus individuals charged in the insurrection.
Trump’s executive order upended what had been the largest prosecution in Justice Department history, freeing individuals captured on camera brutally assaulting police officers as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of plotting violent efforts to halt the peaceful transfer of power after his election defeat.
And in his interview with Derbyshire, Chansley—who said he regrets "nothing"—said the following when asked if he'll go out and purchase guns now that his felony record has been wiped clean:
"The mockingbirds in the media and the government demonized me, made me a social pariah. They attached things like 'QAnon,' 'conspiracy theorist,' 'white supremacist,' 'insurrectionist,' 'racist,' 'homophobe,' 'terrorist.' They attached all those things to my image and then they imprisoned me for 27 months, 101/2 in solitary confinement."
"Then they released me to the public as a social pariah without the ability to own a firearm. So I can never actually bring a gun to a gunfight, I always have to bring a knife to a gunfight. You do realize how wrong that is?"
After Derbyshire noted that "you pleaded guilty," he paused for a few seconds before responding in a faux English accent:
"Is this how they do things in England, I see? You can't see the forest for the trees, my dear."
When she pressed him again, he paused once more before saying:
"Have you ever been in solitary confinement before? ... The answer is no. Have you ever had the media and the government simultaneously mischaracterizing your involvement in some sort of politicized travesty that is being used to actually circumvent the law and certify an election that in every way, shape, and form has all the hallmarks of a regime change of corruption?"
"You've never been in my shoes before. You don't want to be in my shoes. You're too afraid to be in my shoes. That's why you're behind the camera you're behind and I'm behind the camera I'm behind."
Derbyshire didn't stop there:
"And that's why I'm asking you to give me an insight into why you pleaded guilty."
But he avoided the question once more before adopting his "English" accent again:
"I just gave it to you but again, you can't see the forest for the trees, my dear. ... I am in no way, shape, or form obligated to explain it to you, especially now. ... I've been vindicated more than once."
You can watch their exchange in the video below.
@bbcnews Convicted US Capitol rioter and 'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley was jailed for his involvement in the riots on 6 January 2021. He's now one of nearly 1,600 convicted or charged over the 6 January insurrection to be pardoned by freshly re-elected US President Donald Trump. #DonaldTrump #USPresident #President #US #USNews #WhiteHouse #Pardon #CapitolHill #CapitolRiots #BBCNews
Chansley's oddball, unrepentant appearance quickly went viral, exposing him to considerable mockery and criticism online.
As defendants celebrated their release outside detention facilities nationwide, the federal prosecutor’s office in Washington—tasked with charging rioters over the past four years—filed a series of motions to dismiss cases that had yet to go to trial.
These motions bore the signature of Ed Martin, the individual Trump appointed to temporarily lead the U.S. attorney’s office in the capital. Martin, a board member of the Patriot Freedom Project, an organization that frames January 6 defendants as victims of political persecution, has been a vocal supporter of those charged.
Defending the pardons on Tuesday, Trump stated that the defendants had "already served years in prison" under conditions he described as "disgusting" and "inhumane."
Although many Republicans had hoped the pardons would focus solely on nonviolent offenders who entered the Capitol that day, Trump's action forced them to navigate how to balance their support for the sitting president and leader of their party with potential criticism.
Most Republicans have declined to weigh in, arguing it is Trump's prerogative to issue pardons, not that of Congress.
