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By Sophie Clark
Live News Reporter
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When asked how history should remember January 6, a rioter who had his 18-year prison sentence for seditious conspiracy commuted by President Donald Trump said it should be remembered as "Patriots Day."
Why It Matters
Following Trump's mass pardoning and sentence commutations, attempts by some rioters to rename the attempted insurrection to celebrate their actions could result in history being revised, with those involved being seen as victims, not perpetrators.
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What To Know
On January 6, 2021, over 1,590 rioters violently stormed the Capitol building in what has been proven by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as a coordinated effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The riot left nine people dead. Four rioters died at the riot, and five police officers died after the event. Four of the officers took their own lives, and one died from a stroke after sustaining injuries on the scene.
Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, the founder of the Oath Keepers militia group, was given 18 years in federal prison for seditious conspiracy and other charges. The DOJ proved that he was a crucial leader and organizer on January 6, and now he is leading the movement to have the day remembered as "Patriots Day."
Rhodes is easily identifiable by his eyepatch as he once shot himself in the eye with his own gun by accident. He was one of the few rioters not pardoned by Trump, but was released from federal prison with his 18-year sentence commuted.
Rhodes spoke with News2share wearing a Trump 2020 patch and insisted that he knew the 2020 election was stolen. He said that January 6 should be renamed because he and his fellow rioters were "standing up for our country."
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He said: "I don't need to see any actual evidence of the fraud, but I know that state laws that are meant to prevent fraud, making it easier to discover fraud, were violated." Rhodes also blamed the violence against police at the attempted insurrection on provocation by the police.
Joe Biden did win the 2020 election, and it was certified by Congress including by Trump's vice president, Mike Pence.
Rhodes also told News2share that he did not experience any abuse from the prison guards while serving his time, adding: "Most guards are conservative. Most guards are Trump supporters."
What People Are Saying
Elmer Stewart Rhodes III: "I believe the election was stolen. I believe President Trump has always been right about that."
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia: "More people were convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the siege of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, than any other criminal event since the statute was enacted during the Civil War."
Another freed January 6 rioter, Jacob Chansley, the "Q-Anon Shaman," posted on X (formerly Twitter) after leaving prison: "Now I am gonna buy some motha f***in guns!"
What Happens Next
The son of a rioter who testified against his dad has said he is "terrified" of his father being released, and that he has picked up a gun and moved to try and protect himself. His father is a member of "The Three Percenters" militia group, a group that has seen a surge in recruitment following January 6, according to ProPublica.
Rhodes said in his interview that after leaving prison he met up with his fellow January 6 rioters. He did not elaborate on what they discussed.
While it is unlikely that those pardoned on January 6 would storm the Capitol with Trump in power, other officials have been targeted by militia groups outside of January 6. For example, five people were found guilty of attempting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.
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