Editor's Note: This piece quotes expletives and offensive terms.
In a comprehensive piece for TPM, Matt Shuham spoke to the defense attorneys for various people charged with allegedly storming the Capitol on January 6. One lawyer stood out in particular for his extremely offensive comments. Albert Watkins, the attorney for Jacob Chansley, who is also known as the "QAnon Shaman," had this to say:
Watkins, the “Q Shaman” Jacob Chansley’s attorney, said his client had Asperger’s syndrome and indicated that Chansley’s mental state — and the impact of Trump’s “propaganda” efforts — would play a role in his case.
“A lot of these defendants — and I’m going to use this colloquial term, perhaps disrespectfully — but they’re all f***ing short-bus people,” Watkins told TPM. “These are people with brain damage, they’re f***ing retarded, they’re on the goddamn spectrum.”
“But they’re our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors, our coworkers — they’re part of our country. These aren’t bad people, they don’t have prior criminal history. F***ck, they were subjected to four-plus years of goddamn propaganda the likes of which the world has not seen since f***cking Hitler.”
Certainly, such statements from one's own defense are less than charitable or kind. They're also offensive to those on the autism spectrum, those who are mentally disabled, or who have experienced brain damage for one reason or another. Also, way to be the umpteenth person to refer to Trump as Hitler.
I’ve become interested in criminal defense lately. Idk why. It’s appalling that someone wouldn’t get fair legal counsel, even/especially if it happens way too often. This counts! How offensive to people with aspergers? Being on the spectrum does NOT make you how he was referred. https://t.co/mrDZZabaWt
— Rebecca Downs (@RebeccaRoseGold) May 19, 2021
Maybe he's simply trying to point out these rioters aren't the overhyped alleged mastermind plotters and "insurrectionists" the media and other activists claim they are, so much as people with serious probs. but ...
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) May 18, 2021
This is exactly what I would expect the lawyer for the Qanon Shaman to say. Unhinged vomit.
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) May 18, 2021
this is bullshit, setting aside the horrendous language.
— Pé (@4everNeverTrump) May 18, 2021
autistic people aren't inherently violent nor more likely to fall for propaganda.
That lawyer doesn’t understand what high functioning autism is. Many people on the spectrum are extremely intelligent. If this is the man’s lawyer he’s getting the maximum sentence.
— Juliet Jeske (@JulietJeske) May 18, 2021
Watkins doubled down on his comments during his appearance on CNN's "New Day." He said "no" when asked by host John Brennan if he would like to apologize, and also gave a rather curious reason for using such language.
Attorney for so-called QAnon Shaman got super vulgar yesterday and called Capitol rioters "fucking short-bus people" and used the word "ret**ded."
— The Recount (@therecount) May 19, 2021
This morning, CNN's @JohnBerman asked, "Would you like to apologize this morning?"
Albert Watkins: "No." pic.twitter.com/rjaTJJFxjo
More Albert Watkins: "For five months, I acted professionally ... All I had to do was get vulgar, get vulgar in a short soundbite-driven quote that permitted this very issue to come to the fore." pic.twitter.com/PhcmTf6UNh
— The Recount (@therecount) May 19, 2021
Watkins has run into other issues. Back in March, when a judge denied a request that Chansley be released pending trial, Alexander Mallin reported for ABC News that "Judge [Royce] Lamberth, in the meantime, chastised Watkins for arranging for his client's '60 Minutes+' interview without the judge's approval, calling it an act of subterfuge."
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