The Trump supporter who was seen sitting at the desk of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the U.S. Capitol riots has just been arrested. According to NBC News, authorities detained Richard Barnett on Friday (Jan. 8) in his home state of Arkansas. He is being charged with entering and remaining on restricted grounds, theft of public property and violent entry.
Images of Barnett inside of Pelosi’s office went viral on social media on Wednesday (Jan. 6). He sat at her desk and had one of his feet placed on top of it. He also left a threatening note on one of her folders, which read, “WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN.”
On Wednesday afternoon, a reporter from The New York Times spoke to Barnett about his stunt in the U.S. Capitol. In a video, he bragged about taking an envelope from Pelosi’s office, but claims he didn’t steal it. “I left a quarter on her desk,” he said.
The rioter claims he knocked nicely on her door, but was swept inside by other Trump supporters who also breached the Capitol. He also admitted to leaving the “nasty” note on Pelosi’s desk. “I’ll probably be telling them this is what happened all the way to the D.C. jail,” Barnett added.
The mayor of Gravette, Arkansas said Barnett’s viral photos have brought threats and unwanted attention to their small community. “It’s a shame something like this is what puts you in the public eye,” Mayor Kurt Maddox said. “This is not the city of Gravette. This one person is not who Gravette is and not who the people are.”
Pelosi’s office was completely vandalized and someone stole a laptop from one of the conference rooms. Luckily, that computer was only used for presentations. So far, over 40 people who were at the Capitol grounds during the riots have been arrested.