The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) by Fallon Roth
The rioter who seized then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s podium and posed with it during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was unintentionally photographed by Sen. John Fetterman on Monday.
The picture was taken on the day that President Donald Trump took the oath of office, only hours before he granted the majority of those involved in the Capitol riot an unconditional pardon and commutated 14 other offenders, including Stewart Rhodes, the head of the Oath Keepers.
Adam Johnson, also known as The Lectern Guy on social media, shared a picture of himself in a Starbucks with Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania who has been more willing to deal with Trump than some members of his party, on X Monday. He captioned the photo, “Just two dudes living their redemption arcs out.”
Fetterman is seen in the picture giving the thumbs up while sporting his go-to hoodie and shorts. According to a senatorial spokesperson, the Democrat had no idea who the person was.
According to the spokeswoman, he took dozens of pictures with folks yesterday.
People who traveled for Trump’s inauguration crowded the U.S. Capitol and Washington. The courts allowed some of the Jan. 6 defendants, including a man from South Jersey, to travel to D.C. to attend. However, only a select few were able to witness Trump’s swearing-in up close as the ceremony was shifted indoors.
Before Trump signed the pardons, Johnson’s picture was uploaded, ending almost 1,500 people’s criminal charges.
According to his X profile, Johnson claimed that he was among those who were pardoned for his acts that day. According to NPR, Johnson was given a sentence in February 2022 that included more than two months in jail and a year of supervised release. On January 6, 2021, a picture of Johnson holding the podium while grinning and waving went viral. He positioned the podium in the middle of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, posed for pictures, and acted as though he was giving a speech there, according to the prosecution.
Fetterman has criticized Trump and his supporters’ attempts to sabotage and cast doubt on the 2020 presidential election, much like many of his colleagues in the U.S. House and Senate. As of Tuesday morning, the senator had not commented on Trump’s pardons.