One of the most famous faces from the Capitol incursion of Jan. 6, 2021, is now looking forward, as “QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley adjusts to life after prison.
Chansley now has mixed views on two people important in his life — Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump, according to the New York Post.
In March, after video surfaced showing Chansley appearing to walk with Capitol police in a non-confrontational manner, Musk said Chansley should be freed.
In his interview with the Post, he said he appreciated the support, but has become “disappointed” with Musk.
“[Musk] was one of my strongest advocates and offered to pay my legal fees. But he never reached out to me or my lawyer, upon my release. If he’s talking the talk, why not walk the walk?” said Chansley.
Chansley is not sure why Musk does what he does.
“I wonder why he is doing some things, or why he isn’t doing more in other areas that are vital to humanity’s survival.”
He also shared his mixed feelings for Trump. The Jan. 6, 2021, protest was initially called to protest the 2020 presidential election, then morphed into an incursion where Chansley, face painted red, white and blue and wearing a horned helmet, became famous.
“I support Trump because he addressed a lot of things that I’m concerned about like human trafficking and slavery, China and ending the forever wars in the Middle East,” Chansley told the Post in an exclusive interview.
Do you agree with Chansley’s assessment of Musk?
Yes: 33% (1 Votes)
No: 67% (2 Votes)
“But I’m not a Trump fanboy. He said some things and did some things that I didn’t support. He made a lot of appointments in his first term that I don’t agree with,” he continued.
Chansley, an executive assistant for a filmmaker who runs a shamanic consultancy as well, also expressed mixed views on some of his fellow protesters from Jan. 6.
“There were people who assaulted police officers,” he said. “There were people who vandalized the Capitol. I don’t care what side of the aisle you are on, if you assault a police officer you should be charged.”
Chansley still backs the “Q” movement and its messages, called “drops.”
“I believe the Q drops are written by people with high level security clearances who want to free humanity from the nefarious forces who are attempting to monopolize all the world’s resources and labor through controlling the banks, corporations and governments,” he said.
He now calls himself a libertarian centrist.
“Every time the Democrats lose an election they cry about fraud,” he told the Post. “Every time Republicans lose they do the same thing. I’m a centrist. The centrist view is that America’s elections are corrupt and have been for decades,” he said.
He said he will not be invisible going forward.
“My face has become associated for a lot of people with a desire for freedom,” he said. “I would be a fool for that message not to get out one way or another.”
Chansley tried to use videos posted by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to have his conviction set aside, but Judge Royce Lamberth rejected that, saying the pieces Carlson played did not tell the whole story.
“These videos are decidedly not exculpatory,” Lamberth wrote.
“Such footage, conveniently omitted by the [Fox News] program, shows nearly all of Mr. Chansley’s actions that day, including: carrying a six-foot-long pole armed with a spearhead, unlawfully entering the Capitol through a broken door, disobeying orders from law enforcement on more than a half-dozen occasions, screaming obscenities, entering the Senate chamber, climbing onto the Senate dais, sitting in the Vice President’s chair, and leaving a threatening message for the Vice President,” the judge wrote.
“That law enforcement officers outnumbered by the quantity of rioters did not physically engage Mr. Chansley or impede his progress is irrelevant,” he added.
Re Jake Chansley — disappointed with the outcome but always recognized this was an “uphill” battle. Jake pled guilty and admitted his conduct in significant detail. There was other video evidence besides the evidence that was produced very late in the process of his case.…
— Shipwreckedcrew (@shipwreckedcrew) July 20, 2023
A tweet from William Shipley, Chansley’s attorney, indicated that Chansley is finished dealing with the events of Jan. 6 and that he has “moved forward.”
