"No Regrets" for Pelosi Desk Incident, Claims He Was Motivated by Trump and "Paid" for Envelope

Richard Barnett, a participant in the January 6th Capitol riot who was pardoned by former President Donald Trump, expressed no remorse for his actions during an interview on the right-wing news channel Newsmax.

Barnett, who was photographed sitting with his feet on then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk during the attack, stated that he had "no regrets" and that he was "happy" to have been a part of the events. He claimed that he and other rioters were motivated by Trump's call to action and that their actions were necessary to expose the "corruption and destruction" happening in the country.

Barnett also addressed the charges against him for stealing an envelope from Pelosi's desk. He claimed that he had left 25 cents on the desk to pay for the envelope, which he said was worth only 10 cents elsewhere. He expressed frustration that the government had spent $20 on an empty envelope.

Barnett was sentenced to 54 months in prison in May 2023 after being found guilty of several charges, including entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon and theft of government property. He was pardoned by Trump in December 2023 along with approximately 1,600 other individuals convicted of crimes related to the Capitol riot.