A supporter of former president Donald Trump who became the subject of a conspiracy theory on Tucker Carlson’s former Fox News show faces federal charges for his actions during the January 6 riot, NBC News reported.
Authorities arrested Rally Runner, formerly known as Daniel Donnelly Jr, in St Louis, Missouri. Mr Runner changed his name because of his proclivity for running around the St Louis Cardinals’ stadium during home games.
Mr Runner is charged with obstructing, impeding and interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder.
Mr Runner’s arrest comes despite the fact that in 2021, Joseph McBride, who then represented multiple January 6 defendants, said Mr Runner was “clearly a law enforcement officer” and “agent provocateur” who dressed up as a fan of Mr Trump’s to make real Trump supporters look bad.
But Mr Runner expressed displeasure in seeing Mr Carlson spreading the conspiracy theory.
“Disappointed is an understatement,” he said in an interview last year. “For years I believed Trucker was a responsible reporter focused on stopping 'Fake News' just to be hit with this story.”
In response, Mr McBride said he did not “need to be right” and was “theorising things” in an attempt to win a public relations battle.
“If I’m wrong, so be it, bro. I don’t care,” he told HuffPost. “I don’t give a s*** about being wrong.”
Earlier this year, Mr Runner said he had not gone inside the US Capitol building and “I just went to stand up for Trump.”
Mr Runner confirmed his presence at the riot in multiple videos and in an interview. A statement of facts notes how Mr Runner posted a video on Facebook showing him admitting to being at the Capitol on January 6.
“I get a riot shield, and I’m not trying to cause any violence, but I’m trying to be the furthest person to get through all the way, or at least get the furthest,” he said in a video. “We pushed them all the way into the doors. It was working until more cops showed up. I’m right at the front of it and got through those doors into the Capitol, and that’s when reinforcements came.”
Police officers confirmed his presence at the Capitol through open-source, body camera and closed-source video. They identified Mr Runner as wearing red face paint, sunglasses, a red “Keep America Great” hat, a red jacket, red shorts or pants and red high socks.
