QAnon Shaman flip flops again, this time to defend Trump over his January 6 indictment
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- The "QAnon Shaman" Capitol riot defendant has come to the defense of former President Donald Trump.
- Trump was federally indicted on Tuesday in connection to the January 6 Capitol riot.
- The "shaman" slammed the indictment, telling Newsweek that Trump had "no role" in the insurrection.
The infamous Capitol riot defendant known as the "QAnon Shaman" — whose ex-lawyer previously said felt "betrayed" by Donald Trump and was open to testifying against him — has now come to the defense of the former president over Trump's indictment related to the deadly insurrection.
The "shaman," whose real name is Jacob Chansley, ripped the new federal indictment against Trump in an interview with Newsweek, saying that Trump played "no role whatsoever" when a mob of his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
"I feel the notion of a Trump indictment related to the events of January 6th is further evidence that federal agencies have been corrupt and weaponized for decades by the DC Uniparty," Chansley told Newsweek.
Chansley called it "not fair at all" for Trump to be charged in the case and added that his "sympathies go out to Trump for everything he has endured for the American people due to the corruption in DC."
Trump, who has now been indicted three times, was charged with four counts on Tuesday as part of the Justice Department's criminal probe into 2020 election interference and the Capitol riot.
Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith said after the indictment was released that the insurrection was "fueled by lies" from Trump.
But Chansley told Scripps News the former president "doesn't deserve to be indicted whatsoever."
Chansley, who has apologized for his role in the Capitol riot, was handed down one of the harshest sentences in connection with the insurrection. He was released from prison early after serving about 27 months of his 41-month sentence but recently said he regrets his guilty plea.
Chansley told the BBC last month that statements his former lawyer made in an attempt to get him a lesser sentence were not true.
"I never said I was duped by Trump," Chansley told the news outlet.
An attorney for Chansley did not immediately respond to requests for comment by Insider on Tuesday.