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Capitol Rioter Sobs During Interrogation While Claiming He Thought Trump Was 'Calling For Help'
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.
MORE: “Trump called us to DC”, video of FBI questioning of defendant DJ Rodriguez. pic.twitter.com/ocY7bYlFGW
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 1, 2021
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.
Video of FBI questioning of Jan 6 defendant Daniel Rodriguez. In which he says “We all thought there was going to be Civil War”
(Court has released the video after it was shown during court proceeding) ==> pic.twitter.com/waqTyE2Dhe
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 1, 2021
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.
MORE: In video of FBI questioning, Jan 6 defendant Daniel Rodriguez says he was “trying to find the truth”, through Alex Jones.
From video exhibit shown during recent court proceeding in the case pic.twitter.com/psOXvJvBRc
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 1, 2021
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.
Give that man an Oscar nomination for that performance...
— kel jay (@KelJay32) December 1, 2021
They weren't fooled and led by the nose, they're saying this to try and mitigate responsibility and get lighter sentences. They aren't children.
— Doctor Ploppers (@Dr_ploppers) December 2, 2021
CULT These people are in a cult. https://t.co/n1WD4lzcz6
— Welcoming Change (@ChangeDesperate) December 1, 2021
Both of these tough guys went out to bars for celebratory drinks after their criminal acts. And yet..... #tears https://t.co/8BJnevbcAi pic.twitter.com/gUUCi0ZYbE
— Shawn Patterson (@shawnmpatterson) December 1, 2021
He has been watching things like Infowars for WAY too long. He still doesn't believe Biden won. Democrats weren't at "rallies" b/c of a global pandemic. We may not have been on TV partying, BUT he missed the news shots of the lines on election day. THAT is the real world. pic.twitter.com/9lgNjle5TK
— Nell (@Nell7619) December 1, 2021
I wonder if this guy has a clue how completely idiotic he sounds saying he was "trying to find the truth" through Alex Jones?
Way to tell the world you're a moron. https://t.co/CWO7cyWvU4
— Khashoggi’s Ghost (@UROCKlive1) December 1, 2021
Idiot.
— Lady Lavender NYC (@PrincessofNYC23) December 1, 2021
Many others responded to the videos by calling for the prosecution of the conspiracy theorists who have deluded people like Rodriguez.
InfoWars is a threat to national security and needs to be shut down. It's insane that it and "Fox News" have been allowed to disseminate propaganda and psyops on our citizens for so long. Years. We can see the results of allowing foreign influence to thrive here.
— DianeEveryday 🇺🇸 (@2MyQuietPlace) December 1, 2021
The real question here is why Alex Jones, Steve Bannon, Mike Flynn, Sidney Powell , Lin Wood, (working up to Congress and Trump) etc. haven’t been arrested for inciting a violent insurrection
— Animal Lover (@AnimalsRockOn) December 1, 2021
This is what happens when you wage a war on information.
— 𝚌𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚗𝚒𝚜 (@Switchazel79) December 1, 2021
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.