ICED EARTH founder and guitarist Jon Schaffer recently opened up about his involvement in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot and his reaction to being among the more than 1,500 individuals pardoned by former President Donald Trump. In a wide-ranging 75-minute conversation with Marc J. Victor and Andy Marcantel of Attorneys On Retainer, Schaffer detailed his political beliefs, motivations, and his gratitude for the pardon.
Speaking on his political activism prior to the events of January 6, Schaffer emphasized his long-standing commitment to what he described as the founding principles of America.
“I’m very pro founding principle America, and we’ve obviously drifted pretty far from that,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “So that’s bothered me for a long time, for whatever reason. It probably has a lot to do with my father and studying. And I just love the story of the founding of this country. As imperfect as we are, it’s the best. And we can be better — we can definitely be better than what we are now.
“I don’t like to get into the left-right part of this, ’cause that’s not where my passion is,” Schaffer continued. “It’s pro freedom. And I want our country and the world to get back to that, and that’s what I’ve tried to express. And a lot of people have put me in a box of being a right-wing extremist and this kind of stuff. And I don’t consider freedom to be extreme.”
Reflecting on the pardon itself, Jon said: “It was a huge deal. And I have to say that’s what makes me think Trump is not your regular politician, because there’s so many promises made and almost none of them ever kept. And that was just an amazing thing. Because I know some people there, I’m sure, did some bad things, and what I did was stupid, that’s for sure. We believed that our… And I think our country’s in serious trouble — I mean, serious, serious trouble — but at that point, and you gotta preface it with the whole summer of love and all that; that’s the mindset that people were in. But I’ll always be grateful to President Trump for this, big time, and I know everybody else will be too.”
For his role in the U.S. Capitol riot, Schaffer was sentenced last October to three years of probation, 120 community service hours, and $1,200 in fines. Although initially charged with six crimes, including violent acts against police, he pleaded guilty to obstruction of Congress and armed trespassing. Schaffer was later among those pardoned by President Donald Trump.
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