According to NBC, a courtroom in Washington, D.C. was filled with tension as a Donald Trump supporter, convicted for his violent actions during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, shouted defiant words after being sentenced to 12.5 years in prison. Daniel “D.J.” Rodriguez, a resident of California, had driven a stun gun into the neck of a D.C. police officer while he was being abducted by the mob.
Multiple witnesses in the courtroom reported that immediately after his sentencing, Rodriguez shouted, “Trump won,” emphasizing his continued allegiance to the former president.
Rodriguez had traveled to the nation’s capital with other Trump supporters who were part of a Telegram group called the “PATRIOTS 45 MAGA Gang.” In February, he pleaded guilty to several charges, including felony conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, tampering with documents or proceedings, and inflicting bodily injury on officers using a deadly or dangerous weapon.
Evidence presented during the trial included Rodriguez’s disturbing remarks in the Telegram chat group, where he wrote, “There will be blood,” and “Welcome to the revolution,” on the night of January 5, just hours before attending Trump’s rally at the White House Ellipse.
On January 6, Rodriguez actively participated in the violence that erupted in the lower west tunnel of the Capitol building, one of the most volatile scenes of that fateful day. It was there that he attacked Officer Michael Fanone, inflicting serious harm. Unremorseful, Rodriguez later boasted about his actions in the Telegram chat, exclaiming, “Omg I did so much f—ing s— [right now] and got away,” and describing how he had shocked Officer Fanone with the stun gun.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson handed down Rodriguez’s sentence of 151 months, denouncing him as a “one-man army of hate” who targeted law enforcement officers and caused significant property damage on January 6. Judge Jackson emphasized that Rodriguez was accountable for his own behavior, even if fueled by Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud.
She recognized Officer Fanone’s heroic efforts to defend democracy, stating that Rodriguez was one of the most serious offenders that day. The judge also noted that Rodriguez had actively called for violence in the aftermath of Trump’s election defeat, highlighting his role as an instigator rather than a mere follower. Jackson concluded that there was no evidence of mental or cognitive impairments, referring to Rodriguez as “a man of average intelligence.”
