‘You've disgraced this country in the eye of the world,’ US judge slams pro-Trump rioter
A US judge has slammed a pro-Trump supporter who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempt to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.
District Judge Reggie Walton slammed Anthony Mariotto of Florida, who has pleaded guilty to a single charge out of the five he was facing in connection with what former President Donald Trump’s opponents call an “insurrection.”
“You’ve disgraced this country in the eyes of the world, and my inclination is to lock you up,” Walton said during a plea hearing. “To see someone destroy, or try to destroy, the Capitol is very troubling to me."
A large number of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6 this year as the US Congress was meeting to certify now-President Joe Biden’s election victory.
“What if the next time around, the Democrats lose the presidency and start a riot?” Walton asked. “I guess you think that would be all right in light of what you did, right?”
About 600 people have been arrested in connection with the attack, described as the worst violence since the British invasion during the 1812 War.
Four people died in the attack, including a senior police officer.
Since Jan. 6, Democrats have been arguing that the protest was an insurrection based on disinformation spread by the former president, alleging that he was the true victor of the 2020 presidential election and not Biden.
According to a New York Times report, the FBI had an informant in the crowd during the Jan. 6 storming of the Congress.
In a statement to The Hill, an FBI spokesperson said the agency's "mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States, and intelligence gathering is essential to those efforts."
"While the FBI’s standard practice is not to discuss its sources and methods, it is important to understand that sources provide valuable information regarding criminal activity and national security matters," the statement said.
Trump has been blamed by Democrats of inciting his supporters to raid the Capital after a loss in the 2020 presidential race.
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