Gay Man Who Stormed Capitol Says ‘No’ to Trump’s Pardon
Jason Riddle, a Naval veteran from Keene, New Hampshire, was a Trump supporter and a frequent attendee of Trump campaign rallies during the 2020 campaign season.
He attended the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, to see the president one last time before Trump left office following his 2020 defeat.“I didn’t really believe the ‘big lie,’” Riddle told Vermont Public Radio of Trump’s contention that Democrats stole the 2020 election.
But he noted that he “more than likely perpetuated” the conspiracy theory on social media. A recovering alcoholic, Riddle said his drinking exacerbated his lurch to the right, prompting him to become more angry and radicalized. “I would combine alcohol with my politics and I’d put it online too,” he said. “I spent a lot of time on social media in the comments section arguing with strangers about nothing.
And it just became more or less my identity. The less I had a life, the louder I was about being a Trump supporter. And instead of trying to figure out what was causing these problems, looking at myself, I blamed other people and politics….
