We will get to why the image above of this accused Nov. 6 rioter is of interest in a moment (AP):
Federal authorities have charged Robert Gieswein as one of the rioters who stormed the Capitol in support of a pro-Trump insurrection on January 6.
The Woodland Park, Colorado, resident was seen in photos wearing distinctive patches and military-style equipment on Jan. 5 and on Jan. 6 as he pushed through police barriers at the Capitol and confronted officers in the building alongside a number of rioters wanted by the FBI.
He is charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer, depredation of U.S. property. obstruction of an official proceeding, and entering a restricted building with the intent to impede official functions.
Gieswein could not immediately be reached for comment, and it was not clear if he had been taken into custody.
Adam Rawnsley of The Daily Beast has more about Gieswein in a long tweet thread:
As Gieswein is a patron (one supposes from the photo) of Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-Colo.) bar, it is possible the pistol-packing congresswoman from QAnon knows this accused insurrectionist personally. Three Percenters provided security at a “We Will Not Comply!” rally Boebert helped organize at the Colorado State Capitol in Dec. 2019 to protest Colorado’s new “red flag” law. The FBI will want to know more about their connection in its investigation.
Boebert condemned a statement last week by U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D- N.Y.) that it was possible the Nov. 6 Capitol rioters had inside help.
“Yesterday, on national television, Congressman Sean Maloney made false and baseless conspiracy claims about me that led to death threats and hundreds of vile phone calls and emails,” Boebert said. Maloney had not named her.
Maloney appeared Sunday on MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show”:
Speaking with host Jonathan Capehart, Maloney was asked about an accusation leveled at him by Boebert — that she had to retract — which opened the door for the blunt-talking Maloney to call out the GOP lawmaker in the thrall of QAnon conspiracies.
“You know, when you said bumper crop of crazy colleagues, it made me think of this back and forth that seems to be happening,” Capehart stated. “Let me read it to the audience what your colleague, Congresswoman Boebert said: ‘Sean Maloney’s comments were extremely dangerous and shameful. there’s not an ounce of truth to things he claimed about me.’ Having read that, and the comments you just made, even in past interviews, you’ve never named anyone. Why do you think your colleague from the other side of the aisle is singling you out?”
“Well because she’s incompetent,” Maloney quickly shot back. “Because she jumped to a conclusion and didn’t bother to look at what I said.”
Boebert has since apologized, Maloney said.
Make of that what you will as the investigation into the insurrection develops. But that is not what I found unnerving about Gieswein’s arrest. It was this creepy, “daily dose of bizarre” video Rawnsley found auto-generated from images on Gieswein’s now-deleted Facebook page.
The cheery “thumbs-up” GIF from Facebook at the end of the slideshow feels more like an “up yours” from Mark Zuckerberg.
Happy MLK Day, community.