In Arizona, the lawyer for rioter Jacob Anthony Chansley said he will seek a pardon from President Trump. Chansley faces charges of violent entry and disorderly conduct after he was filmed posing shirtless, wearing buffalo horns and holding a spear on the Senate dais. In a court filing unveiled Thursday, federal prosecutors in Phoenix wrote that Chansley left a note for Vice President Mike Pence reading, “It’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.” They added, “Strong evidence, including Chansley’s own words and actions at the Capitol, supports that the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government.” Video from January 6 posted to the now-defunct social media site Parler shows Chansley boasting about his role in the insurrection.
Reporter: “How did you get out?”
Jacob Chansley: “How did I get out of what?”
Reporter: “How did you get out?”
Jacob Chansley: “Of the Senate?”
Reporter: “Yeah.”
Jacob Chansley: “The cops walked out with me.”
Reporter: “They just let you go?”
Jacob Chansley: “Yeah.”
Reporter: “And what’s your message to everybody now? Like, what are you yelling now?”
Jacob Chansley: “Oh, Donald Trump asked everybody to go home. He just said it. He just put out a tweet. It’s a minute long. He asked everybody to go home.”
Reporter: “Why do you think so?”
Jacob Chansley: “Because, dude, we won the [bleep] day!”
The Washington Post reports the National Park Service will close the National Mall on Inauguration Day amid fears of domestic terror attacks. Michigan Congressmember Peter Meijer said Thursday he purchased a bulletproof vest — and will have the expense reimbursed by Congress — after he joined nine other Republicans and House Democrats voting for Trump’s impeachment on Wednesday.