Jacob Chansley — who has become known as the “QAnon Shaman’ since the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol — wants the world to know that he’s completely innocent of the charges he’s facing because he kept his fellow rioters from stealing any muffins as they looted offices and attacked members of the Capitol Police.
Chansley spoke with Laurie Segall of the CBS News program “60 Minutes,” and he declared that he doesn’t think what he did in Jan. 6 constitutes an attack on the nation:
“No, they were not, ma’am. My actions were not an attack on this country. That is incorrect. That is inaccurate, entirely.”
So what exactly did Chansley do on that fateful day? According to him:
“Well, I sang a song. And that’s a part of shamanism. It’s about– creating positive vibrations in a sacred chamber. I also stopped people from stealing and vandalizing that sacred space, the Senate. Okay? I actually stopped somebody from stealing muffins out of the– out of the break room. And I also said a prayer in that sacred chamber. Because it was my intention to bring divinity, and to bring God back into the Senate.”
Segall reminded Chansley:
“But Jake, legally, you were not allowed to be in what you’re calling the sacred chamber.”
He responded:
“And that is– and that is the one very serious regret that I have, was believing that when we were waved in by police officers, that it was acceptable.”
Does Chansley consider himself to be a “patriot” as he and other members of the rioting crowd have claimed in court?
“I consider myself a lover of my country. I consider myself a believer in the Constitution. I consider myself a believer in truth and our founding principles. I consider myself a believer in God.”
On Friday, a federal judge will hear arguments on Friday to determine if Chansley should be released from jail until his trial begins later this year.
Oh, and if you were wondering whether or not the QAnon Shaman remains loyal to former President Donald Trump, he made it clear that he does:
“Chansley said that he believed President Trump ‘had our back’ and expressed disappointment he didn’t receive a pardon from the former president. When asked whether he regretted his loyalty to Trump, Chansley told Segall while he regrets entering the building ‘with every fiber of my being,’ he doesn’t regret his loyalty to the former president.”
Here’s the video, courtesy of CBS News:
“My actions were not an attack on this country,” says Jacob Chansley, aka “the QAnon Shaman.” For the first time since his arrest, Chansley talks publicly about his actions that day, and he tells @LaurieSegall why he wanted to be in the Senate chamber. https://t.co/AhuFQOSzts pic.twitter.com/bIgKjVYS5I
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) March 4, 2021
Featured Image Via Screenshots
