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Jacob Angeli, who rose to fame as the face of the January 6 Capitol riot, told RIA Novosti he hoped US President-elect Donald Trump would pardon his supporters that took part in the attack.
Trump in a December interview with the Time magazine said that he would pardon those who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, "in the first hour" or "maybe the first nine minutes" of his presidency. The US Justice Department charged approximately 1,572 people in connection with the riot.
"Maybe. I hope so. He said he would. I believe he's a man of his word," Angeli said in an interview when asked whether he believes that Trump will pardon the January 6 rioters, as he has pledged.
Angeli, known colloquially as the Shaman of January 6, suggested however that pardoning every participant "may not necessarily be the best idea", calling it a "legal mistake".
He said that Trump should start an investigation first to determine who deserved pardoning, as there has been a "malevolent" intent when it comes to certain actors in the protest.
28 December 2024, 20:00 GMT
Angeli has become the most recognized participant of the January 6 rally due to his extravagant outfit, which included bull horns and a fur headdress.
"The horns and the face paint, I think, pretty much ended whatever political career I might have. But that's fine," Angeli said in an interview when asked if he had any plans to pursue a political career after a failed bid for the House seat.
Politics is like "wrestling with alligators in a swamp, so I do not regret it", he said.
In late 2023, Angeli announced that he wanted to run for US Congress but missed the deadline to submit nomination petitions.
Angeli said he was not planning to run for Congress again unless he would be asked to do that, adding that the campaigning part was a burden.
Angeli pleaded guilty to charges related to the January 6 US Capitol riot and was sentenced to 41 months in prison in November 2021. He was granted early release in spring 2023.
Jacob Angeli added that he will not attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration later in January because he cannot legally leave Arizona.
"I can't leave the state of Arizona without probation officer approval. So no," Angeli said in an interview when asked if he had plans to travel to the US capital for the inauguration ceremony on January 20.
Angeli became the most recognized participant of the January 6 Capitol riot due to his extravagant outfit, which included bull horns and a fur headdress.
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