Millions of red-blooded Americans were incensed over the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. If there were a face most associated with that day, many would agree it would have to be that of Jacob Angeli Chansley, aka the QAnon Shaman. Now it seems the story of Mr. Chansley’s words and actions at the Capitol were not told in full. As a more comprehensive picture emerges of the bizarrely costumed actor, people are beginning to wonder if Chansley is not the evil perpetrator he was made out to be.
The public perception of Jacob Chansley began to turn when a video of him being escorted around the seat of the U.S. government by friendly capitol police was shown on the popular Tucker Carlson show on Fox. Chansley was also heard praying for law enforcement and thanking them for “allowing us into the building.” As the former navy serviceman’s profile began to come into stark relief, another video of him appeared – this time on Twitter.
The footage, posted by political strategist Chuck Callesto again runs counter to the portrait of Chansley as a violent aggressor.
“Donald Trump has asked us to go home,” Chansley yelled into the bullhorn. “We made our point and Donald Trump has asked for everybody to go home. So, what are we going to do? We are going to obey our president; we’re going to do what he asked.” Someone in the crowd could be heard saying, “Respect the Capitol.” Chansley then repeated his request into the bullhorn to go home. Another person could be heard yelling, “We’re staying.” Then Chansley responded, “Well then, stay, motherf—er I don’t give a s—. This is America.”
Jacob Chansley Plot Thickens
On the heels of this previously unseen video came a call from Twitter CEO Elon Musk to release the so-called shaman from jail. Musk tweeted in part, “I’m not part of MAGA, but I do believe in fairness of justice. Chansley was falsely portrayed in the media as a violent criminal who tried to overthrow the state and who urged others to commit violence. But here he is urging people to be peaceful and go home.”
Constitutional attorney Jonathan Turley asked the question on the lips of many Americans in an article titled, “Did the ‘QAnon Shaman’ Get Shafted on Sentencing?” Here is Turley’s answer in brief:
“It was his costume, not his conduct, that seemed to drive the sentencing. In the hearing, Judge Royce Lamberth noted, ‘He made himself the image of the riot, didn’t he? For good or bad, he made himself the very image of this whole event.’ Lamberth hit Chansley with a heavy 41-month sentence for ‘obstructing a federal proceeding.’”
Turley went on to scold those who kept the footage hidden. “This is not just material that the public should be able to see,” he wrote, “it was potential evidence in criminal cases like that of the QAnon Shaman.” However, Turley admits it’s a bit more complex than just a simple case of not turning over the evidence to the defense:
Jacob Chansley (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“First, Chansley quickly pleaded guilty to the charge. This may have been due in part to the draconian treatment that he received by the Justice Department, which insisted on keeping him in solitary confinement with no apparent justification. The result is that he moved rapidly to sentencing without significant discovery in his case.”
Second, the footage was in the possession of the legislative branch so the Justice Department could claim that it was not required to produce it. Indeed, the prosecution may have been entirely unaware of the footage.
Third, Chansley waived an appeal of the plea agreement and is now weeks away from release. The case is practically closed.”
The case is not closed in the court of public opinion, however. As this article published, Callesto’s Twitter video has been viewed more than 11 million times and counting. It’s doubtful Carlson has finished with Chansley’s case – this week, he interviewed the incarcerated shaman’s mother and former defense attorney.
And then there are all those red-blooded Americans spoken of at the beginning of this article; Those folks who were outraged at the destruction of the Capitol. Now many of these very same people find themselves thinking that Jacob Chansley is not the evil perpetrator he was made out to be but rather the poster child for injustice. And nothing is more abhorrent to a red-blooded American than the miscarriage of justice.
