Doug Jensen
A new administration is in, and now-former President Donald Trump left office without pardoning any of the defendants in the D.C. insurrection. Naturally, that means those cases will move forward. Case in point: Iowa man Douglas A. Jensen, 41, who was identified as the figure in QAnon apparel leading a crowd up steps in the Capitol Building after hero police officer Eugene Goodman.
Testimony at a detention on hearing on Tuesday detailed what Jensen allegedly thought would happen on Jan. 6 in Washington D.C.—and the FBI said he asked investigators if he was being “duped.”
“He said he went to DC to receive big news from Donald Trump,” testified FBI Special Agent Tyler Johnson, according to the Associated Press. Trump notably gave an incendiary speech in which he continued to lie that he actually won the 2020 presidential election and that it was being stolen from him. He urged supporters to “fight,” falsely claimed Vice President Michael Pence had the ability to unilaterally reject Electoral College results, and falsely said he would go with his supporters to the Capitol.
The ensuing chaos resulted in Trump supporters taking over the building. Five people died: four supporters, and one Capitol police officer. A number of supporters chanted “hang Mike Pence” after the VP did not reject the electoral college results.
As for Jensen, he is being prosecuted in federal court with charges including civil disorder; and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees.
In Special Agent Johnson’s testimony, the defendant claimed to be a true believer of QAnon. (The short version is that this is a conspiracy theory purporting that the world is run by a cabal Satanist pedophiles that Trump was ordained to defeat). Jensen allegedly believed that Pence and some members of Congress would be arrested after the break-in at the Capitol.
The defendant allegedly maintained that he still believed in QAnon, and that the FBI and CIA were corrupt, but even so, he asked if the news about the arrests of Pence and members of Congress was legit.
“Am I being duped?” he said. “Can you guys let me in on that if you know those arrests are real?”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Virgnia Bruner asserted that Jensen was too dangerous to let go, and that he could not be trusted to go to court if released. Assistant Federal Defender Joe Herrold asserted that the defendant’s wife–who is not a QAnon proponent and recommended he speak to police–could have supervision over him. Though Jensen was fired after news of his involvement at the insurrection, he has another job offer, Herrold said.
It remains to be seen if the judge will allow Jensen to be released.
[Image via SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images]