‘QAnon Shaman’ Was Pardoned by Trump for Role in Jan. 6 Riot. Now He’s Slamming Trump as a ‘Fraud’
“F— this stupid piece of s—,” wrote longtime MAGA supporter Jacob Chansley, better known as the QAnon Shaman, amid a string of attacks on the president
NEED TO KNOW
- Jacob Chansley, better known as the “QAnon Shaman” from the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, took to social media this week to condemn President Donald Trump
- Trump pardoned Chansley and nearly 1,600 other Capitol rioters on the first day of his second term
- Despite long supporting the MAGA president, Chansley is now calling Trump a “fraud” and questioning his ties to both Israel and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
The “QAnon Shaman” has turned on President Donald Trump.
Jacob Chansley’s Viking-inspired insurrection outfit became one of the defining images of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Like many who stormed the Capitol in a last-ditch attempt to stop Joe Biden from becoming president, Chansley faced legal repercussions for obstructing a federal proceeding — and like the others in his shoes, he was subsequently pardoned as soon as Trump returned to the White House on Jan. 20.
Months after his pardon, though, Chansley unexpectedly transitioned from one of Trump’s most famous fans to an outspoken critic of the president. On Wednesday, July 23, he shared a series of expletive-filled social media posts condemning the president, primarily for his connection to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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“F— this stupid piece of s—,” Chansley wrote in one post, replying to a photo of Trump’s mug shot from 2023, per The Independent. “What a fraud…”
“Oh yeah & F— Israel! And F— Donald Trump!” Chansley wrote in a separate post on X, with no other context. In another post, he said, “What do you think Epstein & Israel have on Trump?”
Chansley, who was pictured multiple times during the Capitol riot facing off with security and taking selfies inside the Capitol building, was sentenced to 41 months in prison in November 2021 after pleading guilty to felony obstruction of an official proceeding. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.
At the time, Chansley expressed remorse for his role in the riots: “I have no excuse. No excuses whatsoever,” he told the court, per The Associated Press. “My behavior is indefensible.”
Yet, after he received news of Trump’s pardon, Chansley celebrated: “THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP!!! J6ers are getting released & JUSTICE HAS COME … EVERYTHING done in the dark WILL come to light!” he wrote on social media, per Law and Crime.
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Chansley — who frequently platforms conspiracy theories on his platforms — is one of many MAGA hardliners who have recently taken issue with Trump amid scrutiny over the administration’s handling of Epstein evidence.
As the Justice Department comes under increased pressure to uphold Trump’s campaign promise of more transparency in Epstein’s case, a collection of once-staunch Trump supporters — including Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tucker Carlson and Ben Shapiro — have criticized Trump’s handling of the issue.
