Over a year and a half since the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol, consequences are slowly but surely happening. Josh Hawley’s being mocked for running like the worst track star on the same day that he raised his fist in support of insurrectionists. Borat 2 star Rudy Giuliani’s got his next major role lined up (appearing in front of a grand jury), and Steve Bannon’s being compared to a Peanuts character in a mock courtroom sketch addition.
In other words, MAGA is not doing “great” in any sense of the word (and we’re not even talking about the leader of that movement), and it doesn’t pay to be a rioter. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the first rioter to go to a jury trial (rather than take a plea) has now received the longest Jan. 6 sentence yet. Guy Reffitt landed seven years in prison, which could have been even longer, but he avoided the terrorism add-on. Reffitt’s son, Jackson, is the one who turned dad in. As the teenager told CNN’s Brianna Keiler on New Day, Jackson declared “absolutely not” when asked if he regrets making the call. He also believes that his father deserves the lengthy sentence (and acknowledges that his dad fell prey to manipulation by a certain president’s rhetoric).
Exclusive New Day interview: son who turned rioter in reacts to 7-year sentence with @BriKeilarCNN.
“Absolutely” agrees with sentence, doesn’t regret turning him in, and thinks Trump should also be in prison. pic.twitter.com/8PmMvwFrrT— New Day (@NewDay) August 2, 2022
As CBS News previously reported, Jackson ended up testifying for the prosecution during court proceedings. The teenager recounted how he was “secretly Googling the FBI tip line to tell the bureau about his father,” and he did so because he feared his dad would take his actions further. Guy Reffitt began to openly weep when Jackson took the stand, and the teen described his former relationship with his dad as “pretty great” but acknowledged that they’d grown “distant” in recent years.
Reffitt’s case, no doubt, will factor into whether other Jan. 6 defendants will choose to roll the dice with the jury or take plea deals. And there might be some DOJ charges against the MAGA King himself, you never know.