The world’s richest man Saturday called for freeing the most recognizable figure convicted for his part in the 2021 Capitol riot.
Elon Musk posted his suggestion to “Free Jacob Chansley” in a Twitter post that has already received greater than 9 million views. His caption appeared above a retweet of a video clip showing Chansley, aka the “QAnon Shaman,” pleading with protesters to go home and remain peaceful.
“We are not Antifa,” the strangely dressed individual repeated several times in response to a woman declaring she wanted to be heard.
A Twitter user chastised Musk for advocating releasing Chansley.
“Elon is part of the MAGA Movement,” wrote the account holder.
Twitter’s new owner responded that he was not part of the MAGA movement but expressed his belief in fairness and justice.
“Chansley was falsely portrayed in the media as a violent criminal who tried to overthrow the state and who urged others to commit violence,” added Musk. “But here he is urging people to be peaceful and go home. And the other video shows him calmly walking in the Capitol building, being escorted by officers and then thanking the officers.”
The Tesla founder also responded to a video of CBS interviewing Chansley who claimed he stopped people from stealing Capitol property. He reportedly did not just stop the theft of valuable items, but he also prevented someone from “stealing muffins out of the break room.”
One “very serious regret” Chansley expressed was entering the Capitol. He believed “that it was acceptable” after he and others were waved in by law enforcement.
“I also stopped people from stealing and vandalizing that sacred space, the Senate,” Chansley explained. “I actually stopped someone from stealing muffins out of the break room.”
Musk was one of the three million who viewed the CBS interview with the so-called Shaman.
“Let him out,” Musk remarked, adding in a subsequent tweet, “This shaman/muffin-guardian is obviously not going to overthrow the state.”
“As a side note, we finally know the muffin man!” declared Musk in another follow-up post to the thread.
The new look at the man most people consider the face of the Capitol riot came after Fox News’ personality Tucker Carlson aired part of the 40,000 hours of riot footage provided him by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
Surveillance footage revealed two officers escorted Chansley to the Senate floor where he posed for several famous images, according to a Washington Examiner report.
“Virtually every moment of his time inside the Capitol was caught on tape,” Carlson said Monday. “The tapes show the Capitol Police never stopped Jacob Chansley. They helped him. They acted as his tour guides.”
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