Despite the January 6 hearings doing a number on the insurrectionist attack, and more damningly, on Donald Trump‘s chances of running for president again, a performance art piece at this weekend’s CPAC event in Texas is trying its best to play the martyr card. On Thursday night, freelance journalist Lauren Jedeed captured video of a man sitting inside a fake jail cell at the conservative event. While wearing a MAGA hat, the cell’s occupant didn’t once break character as he attempted to highlight the harrowing plight of the January 6 rioters who have been jailed for, well, rioting on January 6.
“Hello I would like to share with you the most astonishing thing I have ever seen,” Jedeed tweeted. “At this CPAC booth you receive a silent disco headset that plays harrowing testimony from people arrested for participating in J6. Instead of dancing, you stand around and watch this guy cry.
“What I need you to understand is that I stood here for about half an hour yesterday and this guy NEVER broke character. He wept sitting on the bench. He wept sitting on the floor. He tallied days on a chalkboard set up for the [purpose].”
What I need you to understand is that I stood here for about half an hour yesterday and this guy NEVER broke character
He wept sitting on the bench
He wept sitting on the floor
He tallied days on a chalkboard set up for the purpise pic.twitter.com/dgGag1Qcjn
— Laura Jedeed (@LauraJedeed) August 5, 2022
Seems very dramatic, right? Well, here’s the thing: According to Mediaite, the “performance artist” was later identified as Brandon Straka, who did participate in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building. However, Straka notably did not serve any jail time because he ratted out his fellow rioters to the Feds. Yup.
Via WUSA:
In the memo, Dornan said Straka provided “significant information” to federal investigators over three interviews with the FBI following his arrest. In one interview on March 5, 2021, Straka, according to Dornan, provided information about “individuals who were inside of Nancy Pelosi’s office; individuals who were inciters at the Capitol; and organizers of the Stop the Steal movement.”
He also listed the names of individuals Straka spoke to the FBI about. Those names include rally organizers Amy and Kylie Kremer, Cindy Chafian and Ali Alexander — who Dornan described as the “preeminent leader of the Stop the Steal movement.”
So to answer the question in Straka’s performance art piece, “Where is everyone?” They’re in real jail because you turned state’s witness. Enjoy the conference!
(Via Mediaite)