Elon Musk threw his support into the defense of Capitol rioter Jacob Chansley, dubbed the “QAnon Shaman”. The billionaire’s tweet is his latest effort to downplay the disruptive events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Chansley had earned his nickname by raiding the U.S. Capitol bare-chested on Jan. 6 with a furry Viking-style hat and face paint, carrying an American flag zip-tied to a spear.
“Free Jacob Chansley,” Musk tweeted Friday to his 130 million followers while sharing a video that appears to show Chansley telling protestors at the Capitol to go home and remain peaceful, adding in a separate tweet that Chansley was sentenced to four years in prison “for a non-violent, police-escorted tour.”
Chansley got 4 years in prison for a non-violent, police-escorted tour!?
Dave Chapelle was violently assaulted on stage by a guy with a knife. That guy got a $3000 fine & no prison time. https://t.co/qDRWxozD8B
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 10, 2023
The footage—released by Fox News host Tucker Carlson earlier this week—is “outrageous and false,” according to Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger, who said a claim that officers aided rioters while acting as “tour guides” is a “false allegation.”
White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement the footage broadcast by Carlson and Fox News “is not credible,” and that the White House agrees with those who “have condemned this false depiction of the unprecedented, violent attack on our Constitution and the rule of law.”
Elon Musk supports Shaman who was sentenced to 41 months in prison
For making threats and disrupting Congress as its members attempted to certify the results of the 2020 election, Chansley got 41 months in prison, or just shy of three and a half years.
Elon Musk has begun to promote the idea — pushed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Fox News host Tucker Carlson and other conservatives — that the Capitol attack was actually a mostly peaceful event.
Musk reacted to a video clip that showed Chansley using a bullhorn to read a tweet sent by former President Donald Trump at around 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 6.
“Respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue,” Chansley declared, quoting Trump.
Free Jacob Chansley https://t.co/8BbeXF2Fye
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 10, 2023
In another tweet, Musk claimed Chansley “was falsely portrayed in the media as a violent criminal who tried to overthrow the state and who urged others to commit violence.”
“I’m not part of MAGA, but I do believe in fairness of justice,” he added.
Chansley pleaded guilty to charges of civil disorder, disorderly and disruptive conduct, violent entry to a building, and other counts at his November 2021 sentencing hearing.
Prosecutors said he pushed past a police barrier to enter the Capitol and made his way to the Senate floor, where he shouted “Mike Pence is a fucking traitor” from the dais, and led other protesters in a chant against “all the tyrants, the communists, and the globalists.”
He also left a note: “It’s Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming!”
Footage released early on in the investigation clearly shows—as NBC’s Kyle Cheney tweeted—Chansley among the first protesters to breach the Capitol.
NEW: Footage here shows Chansley's first moments inside the Capitol. From 1:25-1:32 you can see rioters reach the ongoing evacuation of senators.
Can't quite ID the person who appears to be a senator or other VIP being escorted out. pic.twitter.com/6JLMHCoeEc
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) March 13, 2023
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