Former 'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Chansley to Run for US Congress

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Facts

  • Jacob Chansley, the man known as the “QAnon Shaman” has filed paperwork to run for Congress as a Libertarian candidate in Arizona's 8th Congressional District.1
  • Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., who currently represents the district, announced last month that she will not be seeking re-election in 2025.2
  • Chansley gained notoriety as one of the most recognizable Jan. 6, 2021 rioters with his horned fur hat, bare chest, and face paint. He pleaded guilty to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding for his role in the Capitol riots.3
  • In 2021, he was sentenced to 41 months in prison and served 27 months before being transferred to a halfway house in Phoenix Arizona in March 2023.3
  • Chansley previously called himself the 'QAnon Shaman,' but has since renounced QAnon. In a statement made at his sentencing hearing in 2021, he said that he was 'wrong for entering the Capitol' and that he was 'truly repentant for his actions.'4
  • The US Constitution does not forbid felons from holding federal office, but Arizona law bars felons from voting until they have finished their sentence and have had their civil rights restored.2

Sources: 1KNOP News2, 2The Hill, 3Associated Press and 4FOX News.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by FOX News. After spending nearly 27 months in federal prison, Chansley is no longer the same person he was when he stormed the U.S. Capitol shirtless. He has served his time and expressed remorse for his crimes. He has been rehabilitated and is well within his rights to run for political office. Chansley's image was smeared by the left-leaning mass media and he has turned over a new chapter in his life story.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by NBC. Not only is Chansley 'the face' of the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol, he is a felon. Despite serving his time in federal prison, he still participated in a violent riot and used his platform to share hateful and baseless conspiracy theories. The fact that he is even attempting a run for US Congress shows the true dangers of far-right politics in America.

Predictions