Richard Barnett, the January 6 rioter who became infamous for sitting with his feet on Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s desk, recently told Newsmax that he has “no regrets” about his actions that day. Barnett, who was pardoned by former President Donald Trump along with over 1,500 other rioters, made the comments during a Thursday interview, which was reported by Mediaite.
“Oh man, what a great time to be alive. You know, I’m so happy I could be a part of it,” Barnett said, referring to the violent Capitol insurrection. “I’ve had a lot of anger issues to work through. I mean, I’ve been through hell. But I’m telling you what, I wouldn’t give it back for anything.”
When Newsmax host Greg Kelly pointed out that Barnett’s actions—particularly the image of him sitting at Pelosi’s desk—had become one of the most recognizable moments from January 6, he asked why Barnett still considered it a good thing.
Barnett responded that he and other rioters showed up because former President Donald Trump had asked them to. “Myself and over 1,600 other J6ers showed up that day for Trump because he asked us to be there,” Barnett said. “I’m hoping that that was one of the reasons that the rest of America woke up and saw the corruption and destruction that was happening to our country.”
He continued, “As hard as it’s been, as much as it would have been nice for it not to have happened, it had to happen. You know, I have no regrets.”
Barnett also addressed the charges he faced after he was photographed stealing an envelope from Pelosi’s desk. When asked about the envelope, he downplayed its value, claiming, “I left 25 cents on the – you might wanna bleep this – I left 25 cents on the b*tch’s desk.” Barnett explained that the envelope, which the government claimed was worth $20, wasn’t worth much to him but made a big deal out of it anyway.
He then added, “I paid for it, I didn’t know that the government was wasting our money to the point the taxpayers had paid $20 for an empty envelope.”
Barnett was sentenced to 54 months in prison in 2023 after being convicted of multiple charges, including entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon and theft of government property. However, he was pardoned by Trump earlier this month, along with other rioters involved in the January 6th attack.
Despite facing significant legal consequences for his actions, Barnett remains unrepentant. His comments, as reported by Mediaite, reflect the ongoing lack of regret or accountability from some individuals involved in the Capitol insurrection, who continue to defend their violent actions.
