Donald Trump regularly rails against violent criminals destroying the fabric of society. So, naturally, one of his first acts upon resuming the presidency was to let a whole bunch of violent criminals with a track record of trying to destroy the fabric of society out of prison.
The Jan. 6 rioters had the book thrown at them amidst disgust from across the political spectrum, resulting in stiff sentences for anyone who entered the U.S. Capitol. Those incarcerated for trying to overthrow a democratic election considered themselves political prisoners and many refused to recant, resulting in a cellblock populated by steadfast MAGA devotees who prayed each night for Daddy Trump to save them.
Well, those prayers have been answered. Trump has now pardoned 1,500 defendants, many of whom now are currently emerging from incarceration. Included amongst them is Jan. 6’s most visible insurrectionist Jacob Chansley, the so-called QAnon Shaman.
Chansley made front pages across the world for his actions on Jan. 6, with his American face paint, extensive tattoos, and horned furry headdress setting him apart from the other rioters. On that day, Chansley appeared on the evacuated Senate floor in the Capitol building carrying a six-foot American flag spear, being photographed on the platform in front of Mike Pence’s chair. According to federal prosecutors, he left a note on it saying “It’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.”
He pled guilty at trial and received a sentence of 41 months in prison, though on Mar. 30, 2023, was released to a halfway house where he continued to serve his sentence. But now that’s over, and judging by his remarks on X, he doesn’t seem particularly rehabilitated:
This is quite a stark shift from Chansley’s comments during his trial. In November 2021, he told the court: “Men of honor it when they’re wrong. Not just publicly but to themselves. I was wrong for entering the Capitol. I have no excuse. No excuse whatsoever. The behavior is indefensible.”
Chansley’s promise to immediately buy some guns and his intimations that “things done in the dark will come to light” indicate that any previous contrition was just an act, as it certainly sounds like he’s threatening to some kind of violent action against those he considers to have wronged him. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess, though perhaps the best-case scenario is that this is all play-acting and he can settle into a lucrative talking head role in far-right media.
Or, alternatively, perhaps Trump will hand him control of an important federal agency. We just can’t know for sure. Whatever the case, his belief that televisions and radios emit secret frequencies that “affect the brain waves of your brain” seems unchanged, as does his faith that Trump is set to usher in a new era of global prosperity with “a triangular-shaped antigravity or inertia-propulsion craft.”
As of yesterday, we are now living in Bizarro World: violent criminals are walking free while those who just want to live peacefully under the gender they identify with are under fire. Best steel yourself for a terrifying new world of public Nazi salutes, open discrimination, and a relentless slide into misery.
Published: Jan 21, 2025 10:36 am