Lindsey Graham warns against allowing ‘QAnon Shaman’ impeachment testimony, says trial could ‘last for months’

Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) has warned against allowing “QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley to testify in the second unprecedented impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.

Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, faces multiple charges for his involvement in the insurgency that the impeachment article alleges the former president instigated on January 6. Although Graham denounced the House for impeaching Trump on Jan. 13 without calling witnesses, on Friday the senator said allowing witnesses at the Senate trial could lead to a long “circus” featuring testimony from people like Chansley.

“I can’t think of a better way to turn the next impeachment trial into a complete circus than to call the QAnon Shaman as a witness on anything,” Graham tweeted. “The House has impeached President Trump without witnesses. If we open the door to witnesses in the Senate, many witnesses will be called upon on a variety of topics. And the trial will last for months, not days.”

Chansley has been the subject of photos which quickly went viral after the Capitol was violently violated by pro-Trump rioters. The shirtless “shaman” was pictured wearing a memorable outfit that included a furry horned hat and patriotic face paint.

Although Chansley has been a staunch Trump follower and closely associated with the elaborate and spurious pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy theory, he has turned the tide since his arrest and now says he’s ready to testify against the former president. .

Albert Watkins, Chansley’s defense attorney, said his client had come to believe he had been “ridiculed” by Trump in a telephone interview Friday with Newsweek, while insisting that an impeachment trial without Chansley would be more like a “circus” than one with him.

“He came to the conclusion and was very aware that what happened was that instead of being the patriot trying to help his president save his country he was ridiculed. “said Watkins. “If there is to be anything more than a circus going on with clowns doing backflips during the impeachment process, you have to have someone who has been incited to testify.”

Ahead of Trump’s exit from the White House on Jan.20, Watkins urged the former president to grant a full pardon to Chansley and others who had been “peaceful and submissive” during the riots, which he said s ‘were held at the “invitation of a president.”

The violent breach, featuring rioters who said they believed Trump’s false claims of massive electoral fraud as Congress convened to certify victory for President Joe Biden’s Electoral College, resulted in the deaths of five people. Chansley is not accused of being directly responsible for any of the deaths.

Newsweek contacted Graham’s office for comment.