When photos from Washington, D.C., spread around the world on January 6, 2021, one of them was silent. Trump (Trump) supporters stormed the symbol of American democracy, the Capitol building.
Among the perpetrators: conspiracy theorist Jacob Chansley (35). A supporter of QAnon (a far-right conspiracy movement), disguised as a shaman and armed with a flagpole with the US flag on it, was one of the first 30 people to storm the Capitol. He was later sentenced to 41 months in prison.
Tech tycoon Elon Musk, 51, appears to be infuriating with the ruling, demanding the release of the Capitol Shaman. “Free Jacob Chansley,” the Tesla CEO wrote on Twitter on Friday (in German, “Free Jacob Chansley”).
︎ The reason why Musk is uncomfortable: A video by moderator Tucker Carlson (53), hired by the GOP-affiliated anchor Fox News, is now getting a lot of attention on social media.
You can see Jacob Chansley telling people to “go home” in front of the Capitol Building. The reason for this is a tweet by then-President Donald Trump, in which he called for de-escalation.
Irony: Trump previously fueled the mob and protest via Twitter, which led to the storming of the Capitol.
Rebel Trump supporters storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021
Another video aims to prove the supposed innocence of the Capitol Shaman: you can see how Jacob Chansley is calmly escorted through the Capitol by police officers.
︎ Musk wrote on Twitter: “Chansley was sentenced to 4 years in prison for a peaceful police-escorted tour!?”
The video has been taken out of context
According to the Associated Press, claims that police escorted Chansley through the Capitol are false, as court documents and video footage show he stormed the building and was not escorted the entire time.
The agency added that the footage broadcast by Carlson obscures important context.
The US research and verification project Politifact also noted that Capitol Police received Chansley in the building and repeatedly ignored orders and requests from officers to leave the building.
So the Capitol Shaman doesn’t sound quite as religious as Elon Musk claims to be after all…
