QAnon Shaman Confronts Matt Gaetz at Conference: 'Stole My Campaign'

Jacob Chansley, the Capitol riot defendant better known as the "QAnon Shaman," posted a clip of himself attempting to confront Florida Representative Matt Gaetz and accusing the Republican of stealing ideas from his own political platform.

Chansley was among the most recognizable participants of the January 6, 2021, riot due to his horned hat and impassioned facial expressions. In the wake of the event, in which supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building in an effort to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election, he became one of the first high-profile participants to be arrested and convicted, ultimately serving 27 months in prison after receiving a sentence of 41 months.

Since his release, Chansley has attempted to make an entry into the political realm, filing to run for Congress in Arizona as a Libertarian. He has also since tried to rebrand himself as "America's Shaman" in an effort to move past his past support of the QAnon conspiracy theory.

On Monday, Chansley shared a clip of himself on X, formerly Twitter, trying to confront Gaetz at the AmericaFest in Phoenix, with Chansley accusing the congressman of blowing him off and stealing his platform.

"So [Matt Gaetz] doesn't care AT ALL about J6ers!" Chansley wrote. "WATCH AS HE IGNORES ME TWICE when I ask for a pic & a chance to talk! He THEN went on stage & talked about the plight of J6ers, RIGHT AFTER HE INTENTIONALLY IGNORED ME & my request to speak & get a photo!"

In a later post, he added: "THIS IS WHERE I CALL OUT [Matt Gaetz] for stealing MY CAMPAIGN PLATFORM after my Newsmax interview on Nov. 13th shortly thereafter HE proposed 'his Anti-Corruption Plan' THAT 3 of the main ideas in MY CAMPAIGN PLATFORM! I THINK HE KNEW I was gonna ask him about it! COWARDICE!!!"

At one point in the videos, Chansley chastised Gaetz for mentioning him in an interview in order to paint himself as an ally to Capitol riot defendants but not talking with him in person.

"These are big names who claim that they're for the little guy getting screwed by the big machine, but he will not talk to me," Chansley said.

In an interview from November 2021 with Newsmax, Gaetz referred to Chansley as a "relatively harmless, non-violent vegan" and argued that he did not deserve a prison sentence more than participants in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

In a statement provided to Newsweek by his office, Gaetz said that his behavior towards Chansley was due to the fact that he is running against Republicans in Arizona, with the congressman not wanting to "confuse" voters in that district.

"Sometimes people running for office seek a photo with me to use in their campaigns," Gaetz wrote. "Mr. Chansley is running for Congress against Republicans and does not have my support. I didn't want to confuse my supporters in that district."

Updated 12/18/2023, 2:23 p.m. ET: This piece was updated to include a statement from Matt Gaetz.