| | | Capitol rioter’s lawyer: My client is a ‘dumbass’ who watches too much Fox News
The lawyer for accused Capitol stormer Anthony Antonio, 27, is planning to argue that his client wasn’t interested in politics until he started watching Fox News, which played a part in influencing him to travel to D.C. on Jan. 6, Newsweek reports.
Joseph Hurley, Antonio’s lawyer, says that while blaming Fox News and Donald Trump — which is a strategy multiple Capitol riot defendants reportedly plan to use — may not ultimately be successful, it will be utilized to explain to the court that the influence of Trump and right-wing media is the main reason the defendants were at the Capitol in the first place.
“The reason he was there is because he was a dumb*** and believed what he heard on Fox News,” Hurley said.
Earlier this month, Hurley told the judge his client had “Foxitus” and “Foxmania” from watching six months of Fox News and started believing what was being fed to him by the network and Trump.
Antonio allegedly wore a tactical bulletproof vest emblazoned with a “Three Percenters” patch, which is a right-wing militia group, at the Capitol that day. He was arrested in Delaware on April 20.
Hurley is accused of squirting water and throwing a plastic water bottle at an officer who was being dragged down the Capitol steps. Antonio told FBI agents that he “locked eyes” with the officer and could see “death in the man’s eyes,” but chose not to help him “when I should of.” |
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