Attorney for 'QAnon Shaman' questions mental abilities of his client, others in Jan. 6 riot

[Mr. Sparkle]

Source: Washington Post

The attorney representing Jacob Anthony Chansley, also known as the “QAnon Shaman,” has spent months arguing that Donald Trump is responsible for his client storming the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Now, he says Chansley and other accused Capitol rioters were especially susceptible to being duped by baseless claims about election fraud. In expletive-laden remarks to Talking Points Memo, lawyer Albert Watkins pointed to their mental abilities, using a pejorative for people with intellectual disabilities. “These are people with brain damage,” Watkins said. He went on to say that the alleged rioters deserved empathy, arguing they’re not “bad people.” Their actions came, he said, after they were subjected to what he described as “propaganda” not seen since Adolf Hitler.

Chansley, a 33-year-old, self-described shaman and QAnon digital warrior from Phoenix, quickly emerged as one of the most recognizable faces from the attack on the Capitol. Shirtless and tattooed, he wore horns and red-white-and-blue face paint while roaming the center of U.S. democracy. In his hands was a spear draped with an American flag.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/05/19/qanon-shaman-short-bus/

[Irish_Dem]

1. Most brain damaged Americans don't try to overthrow the government.

[dlk]

2. Chansley obviously has mental health issues

However, as long as he’s coherent enough to understand right from wrong, he needs to be held accountable.

[BigmanPigman]

3. This is a tough call...

Yes, they are crazy for buying the tRump BS for so long and with 100% supoort. But that should not keep them from being indicted for their actions.

When the fucking moron gets called in to testify at one of his many investigations will he claim that he has mental health issues and we should not hold him accountable for his life of criminal behavior?

[Merlot]

4. So he's making the point that all the congress people who believe the big lie

have intellectual disabilities? Or for that fact every republican who still claim the election was stole?

Sorry, you can't claim only some people who believe something have mental disabilities. It's all or none.

[keithbvadu2]

12. BIGLY!

[William Seger]

18. The people who paticipated in the insurrection are a self-selected subset of all trumpers

Believing the Big Lie is one thing; attempting to overthrow our democracy is another.

[Merlot]

20. I disagree. People who believe the big lie ARE attempting to overthrow democracy.

the ones that didn't go to the capitol just aren't using violence. Yet.

[William Seger]

21. Well, therein lies the difference

The people who thought that violent insurrection by a few thousand people would keep Trump in office are just plain stupid, which was the lawyer's point.

[tulipsandroses]

5. Our prisons are filled with people with mental illness.

He can join them. They Never thought they would be held accountable. Nobody cares about the person having a manic episode that commits criminal acts. Nope. The court may acknowledge you have a mental illness, but you will still pay for your crime in most cases.

[Turbineguy]

6. Brain damage

is their only defense.

Who in their right mind would believe trump?

[Evolve Dammit]

7. Per the interview, this atty has a few screws missing himself. Hope the courts have limited patience

[DBoon]

8. is the defense attorney trying to throw the case?

Does he think that making crazy statements about the defendants will somehow void the trial?

[Warpy]

9. I don't buy a word of it

He's a willfully ignorant attention hog who happily took part in trying to stop the peaceful transfer of power in the US.

At the same time, he made enough of a horse's ass of himself that he'll never live it down.

A few months in prison will knock some of the bullshit out of him. Having to go out and find a real job to pay off his fines will curtail the number of hours he has to spend with his asshole buddies on Facebook.

Behavior has consequences, I certainly paid for my bad behavior when I was younger. It's high time this idiot found that out.

Most of all, he needs to learn that his misplaced fanboy loyalty to a wannabe dictator is one way and that is never going to change.

[Claire Oh Nette]

10. Didn't he claim CHansley was on the spectrum?

Asperger's is not brain damage. Or a mental illness.

Actual Iraq War veterans have actual TBI and didn't attack the Capitol.

Bring on these asinine trials that all say "Trump said it was ok, so I did it."

Then try and fry TFG.

And every other complicit GOP in Congress.

[murielm99]

15. Trump said it was okay.

I was just following orders.

It did not work the first time, and it does not work now.

[Marcuse]

11. He's welcome to try to enter mass insanity pleas to the court.

[keithbvadu2]

13. Had they been deemed such before 06 Jan that they could not own guns?

Had they been deemed such before 06 Jan that they could not own guns?

[Skittles]

14. LOL, the mental abilities of EVERY Trump humper can be questioned

BUT THEY ARE STILL CRIMINALS

[OldBaldy1701E]

17. Yep! (n/t)

[Hugh_Lebowski]

16. He is right about the fact that Cult45 are inundated by Nazi-like propaganda constantly

Of course, they go out of their way to fill their brains with it, because they are ... ya know ... a gaggle of bloody fascists.

[malthaussen]

19. Stipulate that this is true.

Then, since their "damage" is such that it leads to extreme anti-social conduct such as trying to overthrow the government, it follows that they should be sequestered somewhere for the rest of their natural lives, to protect society.

-- Mal

[Grins]

22. "...especially susceptible to being duped" Well, they are Republicans... NM

[Jilly_in_VA]

23. Well, so do I

but that doesn't mean they aren't guilty of riot, sedition, and insurrection!