As shocking as last week’s pro-Trump storming of the Capitol was, it’s becoming clearer by the day how much worse it could have been. For the first time, federal prosecutors have stated their view that the Trumpist mob broke into Capitol with the intention of capturing and assassinating government officials. In a filing asking a judge to detain Jacob Chansley—the Arizona man whose horned outfit led him to be dubbed the “QAnon Shaman”—prosecutors wrote: “Strong evidence, including Chansley’s own words and actions at the Capitol, supports that the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government.” The lawyers pointed to a note that Chansley left on Mike Pence’s desk warning the veep: “It’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.” Chansley has not responded to the latest allegations.
