Rioter: “I Believed I Was Following the Instructions of Former President Trump”

A Texas man facing federal charges linked to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is apologizing for taking part in the storming of the Capitol and for threatening Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a Capitol Police officer.

Garret Miller released a statement on Monday through his attorney claiming that he stormed the Capitol after becoming convinced by Donald Trump’s election fraud lies. The 34-year-old Miller had previously tweeted “Assassinate AOC” and threatened a Capitol Police officer who fatally shot a fellow rioter.

“I am ashamed of my comments,” Miller’s statement read. “I was in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021, because I believed I was following the instructions of former President Trump and he was my president and the commander-in-chief. His statements also had me believing the election was stolen from him.”

Needless to say, this is the tack that most of the rioters/murderers are taking, assumedly at the recommendation of their attorneys.

FWIW, I find this mitigating to a degree, i.e., that they were following the instructions given them by the President of the United States, whom, they believed, was removed from office illegally. Though I have extremely low regard for the intellect and moral code of these people, if I were hearing these cases, I would hand down lighter sentences than the guidelines might otherwise suggest.

This, of course, is why the Senate needs to convict Trump in his upcoming trial. Miller is just one more witness for the prosecution.