Because the St. Louis Put up-Dispatch stories, Watkins is singing the identical type of aggrieved track for Chansley that he did for the McCloskeys. His shopper, he says, was “invited” to return to Washington, D.C., and was solely doing what Trump requested of him. “He invited his devoted,” mentioned Watkins, “those that had been longstanding supporters of him and his trigger, those that felt for the primary time of their lives that their political voices have been being heard.”
If that seems like Watkins is throwing the blame on Trump, the conservative legal professional additionally made it clear that Trump is totally free to name for an rebel any time he needs. “He’s the president. He can go wherever he needs with those who he invitations.”
Watkins went on to say that Chansley didn’t do something violent, and even hurt any property.
“He simply walked in with the entire crowd that was strolling in on the peaceable aspect of issues.” That will be the peaceable aspect of issues the place the gang had simply gained entry to the Capitol constructing by dragging police down the steps, beating them with iron pipes, then smashing their method into the constructing with a bit of motorbike railing. That peaceable aspect.
As police inform their horror tales of being battered, kicked, hit with bear spray, and overwhelmed with all the things from flag poles to fireside extinguishers, Watkins insists that most of the Capitol Police have been “supportive of the protesters.” And that Chansley put up no fuss when reinforcements arrived to drive him from the Capitol.
“Given the peaceable and compliant trend by which Mr. Chansley comported himself, it might be applicable and honorable for the president to pardon Mr. Chansley and different like-minded, peaceable people who accepted the president’s invitation with honorable intentions,” mentioned Watkins. One way or the other, peaceable, compliant, and honorable have been not the phrases that got here to thoughts when watching occasions on Jan. 6.
Frighteningly, Trump might subject a pardon, not only for Chansley, however for everybody who carried his banner into the Capitol, tore down American flags, and smeared the partitions with each blood and excrement as they went looking members of Congress. However, federal prosecutors seem to have one thing else in thoughts.
As Politico stories, these prosecutors moved on Thursday to disclaim bail to Chansley, and in doing in order that they put down in court docket paperwork one thing that had not been formally mentioned earlier than that time. Prosecutors described the exercise on Jan. 6 in phrases that will appear acquainted for readers of Every day Kos.
Federal prosecutors on Thursday for the primary time described final week’s assault on the U.S. Capitol as a “violent rebel that tried to overthrow the US Authorities” — and one they think about to nonetheless be underway.
Removed from being a innocent goof, prosecutors describe Chansley as “an lively participant in” and “essentially the most distinguished image of” this violent rebel. In addition they clarify that Chansley supposed to return to Washington, D.C. in an try and disrupt Joe Biden’s inauguration.
“At this juncture in our Nation’s historical past,” wrote prosecutors, “it’s laborious to think about a larger danger to our democracy and neighborhood than the armed revolution of which Chansley has made himself the image.”
The language utilized by prosecutors, and particularly the usage of the phrases “violent rebel” and “armed revolution,” makes it more and more seemingly that the “Q Shaman” and others will face not simply costs of illegal entry or curfew violations, however a felony cost of sedition—punishable by imprisonment for as much as 20 years.
Which doesn’t imply that Trump couldn’t nonetheless pardon Chansley and others on his method out the door. In any case, Trump has lengthy made it clear that he regards private loyalty to himself as way more essential than loyalty to the nation. What higher approach to underscore that than by handing out passes to traitors?