Capitol riot shaman's TV interview irks judge

[Generic Other]

NEW: Trouble for the shaman's showman as judge raps QAnon follower's lawyer for using attorney privileges to orchestrate unapproved "60 Minutes" video interview with Jacob Chansley in Alexandria jail.

Link to tweet

Watkins has spent weeks working to portray Chansley as a harmless, well-meaning dupe, taken in by former President Donald Trump’s claims that the election was stolen and acting on the mistaken belief that the commander-in-chief was being truthful. He spent Friday’s hearing comparing Chansley to Forrest Gump, drawing attention to his hobbies as a painter and a potter and asserting that the “spearhead” attached to the pole Chansley wielded inside the Capitol was just decorative.

“I sang a song. And that’s a part of shamanism,” he said. “It’s about creating positive vibrations in a sacred chamber. I also stopped people from stealing and vandalizing that sacred space, the Senate. OK?”

At Friday’s hearing, Watkins asserted that Chansley’s eccentric style — he breached the Capitol shirtless, in a horned headdress, with ample tattoos exposed — underscore that he was not a leader of the violent charge but a happy-go-lucky follower. He committed no violence inside the building and prevented the theft of muffins from a Capitol break room, the defense attorney said.

Watkins also argued that video shows Chansley simply sauntered into the Capitol and was, in fact, invited in by the police. “Capitol Police are walking down the steps. There’s no barricade. There are no police lines and the police are saying the building is yours,” the defense lawyer said. “If you see my client’s horns, he’s just strolling up the steps. ... The door my client walked into is actually being held by a Capitol policeman.”

Lamberth seemed incredulous about that claim, saying he’d seen a photo on the front page of The Washington Post showing a Capitol window being smashed just as Chansley moved through a nearby doorway.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/05/capitol-riot-shaman-tv-interview-473921

[PatSeg]

1. I guess that isn't too surprising

as he is out to get as much attention and camera time as he can. Maybe he thinks this will further his show business career.

[dameatball]

4. Yes, pretty much his aim from the get-go. His unfortunate (for him) choice of how he decided to

get name recognition is going to get him some name recognition behind bars. Poor decision making combined with warped political views leads to bad outcomes.

[PatSeg]

5. And in his case, it looked like one huge performance

Someone should have told him that it is not true that any publicity is good publicity. Not a particularly sharp guy.

[HUAJIAO]

2. Sort of like just one of the guards at Treblinka.....

[comradebillyboy]

3. Pissing off the judge seems to be a questionable defense

strategy.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. Maybe it's brilliant.

If the judge gets pissed enough, he might make a mistake, and cause a reversal on appeal.

[keithbvadu2]

7. Qincel - got that from another poster.

Qincel - got that from another poster.

And living with mommy does not enhance his image either.