'QAnon Shaman' Jacob Angeli-Chansley speaks in Scottsdale, shortly after release

By Bridget Dowd
Published: Monday, May 29, 2023 - 1:16pm
Updated: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 - 3:03pm

Jake Angeli-Chansley, known for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, was released last week from a halfway house, well short of his 41-month prison sentence.  

The so-called “QAnon Shaman” is remembered for storming the Capitol bare chested, wearing red, white, and blue face paint and horns on his head. 

Speaking in Scottsdale on Sunday, he promoted his new book and called himself a victim of political persecution.

Jake Angeli
Hope O’Brien/Cronkite News
Jake Angeli-Chansley at a protest in Phoenix following the November 2020 election.

“They made me a straw man," he said. "They put something up that they could have everybody rally against.”

In November 2021, Angeli-Chansley was convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding. He was given one of the longest sentences for a U.S. Capitol rioter.

He was given an early release for good behavior. In a video posted on Twitter, shortly after his release, Angeli-Chansley said he has no animosity toward the U.S. government. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this story said Jake Angeli-Chansley spoke at Reformed Living Bible Church in Scottsdale. He spoke at an adjacent property, and the church had no affiliation with him or the event. 

Politics