Politics- A Capitol-riot defendant has apparently had a change of heart and now says he loathes Trump.
- Thomas Sibick in a letter to a judge said Trump "should be ostracized from any political future."
A Capitol-riot suspect from Buffalo, New York, who's been indicted on a number of charges related to the
Thomas Sibick is accused of assaulting Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone. In his letter to Judge Amy Berman Jackson, Sibick wrote that Trump "is not a leader and should be ostracized from any political future, what he honestly needs to do is go away!"
The deadly January 6 insurrection was a "disgrace to our nation that left a scar Trump is ultimately responsible for," Sibick wrote.
"The shame, dishonor, and regret endured are without question the worst emotions ever experienced," he added. "I disagree with what occurred that fateful day, especially the trauma suffered by Officer Michael Fanone, it is without question unconscionable."
Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
-Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) October 26, 2021
Jackson on Tuesday decided to release Sibick from pretrial jail in Washington, DC, but said he was to be confined to his parents' home at all times. Sibick is also barred from using social media or watching any political programs on television, Ryan J. Reilly, a HuffPost senior justice reporter, reported.
The judge expressed concern about January 6 defendants being jailed together, worrying about the "toxic environment" it creates.
Experts have also said that housing the defendants together could further radicalize them.
"I do think the fact that the J6 defendants who are currently being held pre-trial... having them all together where they can seemingly communicate by newsletter, is likely to foster continued feelings of anti-government mentality among those individuals who are being prosecuted," Jon Lewis, a research fellow at the George Washington University's Program on Extremism, said in comments to Vice News.