Jacob Chansley—known widely as the "QAnon Shaman" for his participation in the January 6 insurrection—lashed out at Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, saying Gaetz ignored him at Turning Point USA’s “AmericaFest” over the weekend.
Chansley had an opportunity to meet many of the right-wing figures who supported him even after he was convicted for his role in the attack on the United States Capitol—but was annoyed to find himself snubbed backstage by Gaetz, who has long used the attack as a rallying cry to motivate his far-right supporters.
Chansley said:
“Did you see that?! Coward! And these are the people who are representing Americans? They can’t even speak to an American?”
“He was saying my name all over Spaces, he’s been talking about getting me out on Tucker Carlson. Can’t talk to me! Won’t even talk to me!"
"These are big names, that claim they’re for the little guy getting screwed by the machine. And he will not talk to me!”
You can watch what happened in the video below.
It looked like Chansley had quite the wake-up call—and the mockery was swift.
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.
After receiving his prison sentence, he continued to profess his innocence, claiming he was simply trying to "calm the crowd" during the breach.
In an interview last year with Inside Edition, Chansley said he regrets "not working to ensure that there was far more peace on that day." He suggested he did not know what would happen when a mob of Trump's supporters—spurred by his lies the 2020 general election had been stolen—attempted to stop the electoral certification of President Joe Biden's win.
As one of the earliest intruders during the Capitol riot, Chansley faced legal repercussions, eventually pleading guilty to his involvement. Following a 27-month stint in prison out of a 41-month sentence, he expressed a desire to retract his guilty plea. Despite being a convicted felon and ineligible to cast his vote, Chansley remains eligible to contest for public office.
He recently filed paperwork with Arizona's Secretary of State's Office, signaling his intention to run for the congressional seat as a Libertarian in the 2024 election.
The seat Chansley seeks is currently held by Republican Representative Debbie Lesko, who announced her retirement in January, opening up the field for a new representative. Notable contenders for this position include individuals like Blake Masters and Abe Hamadeh, both having previously run for office in Arizona unsuccessfully.
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