Jason Whitlock says January 6 riots inspired him to vote for the first time as he backs Donald Trump to win

Jason Whitlock voted early and explained to his YouTube followers for the first time in his life that January 6th inspired him to support Donald Trump.

The controversial conservative sports analyst said he considered voting for Trump in 2016 but ultimately never cast a vote. He also didn’t vote in 2020, but things changed after he saw the Jan. 6 riots unfold, in which thousands of protesters stormed the Capitol building.

After sharing a video of his trip to his polling place in downtown Nashville, Whitlock said, “In 2016, Donald Trump and the MAGA movement captured my imagination.

“Trump is the first person to run for president and I thought, ‘He’s not a politician and he has so much money that he’s harder to control.’

‘But I still didn’t vote because I liked my brand: an objective journalist without voting rights. 2020, definitely a Trump supporter, not a Biden fan, I loved my brand.

About 467 people have been jailed for participating in the 2021 riots

‘What has changed? January 6, 2021. January 6 changed me that day. I was like, ‘holy cow, look at the corporate media calling these people insurrections.’ I had never heard the word before January 6.

“I started saying, ‘They’re going to bury these people in a prison, they’re going to treat them like terrorists.’

“They’re all thrown in jail and it’s just unfair, these people are unarmed.

“They went to the Capitol to express their frustration. A frustration I share and if I wasn’t a coward I would have been with them.

“January 6 changed me and helped me understand that there are real consequences to this election process and that Trump is not in power.

“I started thinking about all these people who are in jail and being treated unfairly on January 6 and all the people who are free, who have looted cities and created an environment of violence against the police, of disempowering the police… these people are not. in prison.

‘And so January 6 made me think that I had to do something to help the political prisoners. The only thing I could think of was to vote for Donald Trump because he would pardon them.”

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately 467 people have been jailed for participating in the 2021 U.S. Capitol riots. More than 1,200 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riots.

Whitlock wanted to vote for Trump because he would pardon people imprisoned for the January 6 involvement

The convicts range from members of far-right extremist groups to an Olympic gold medalist in Klete Keller.

Keller was sentenced to six months of house arrest last December for his participation.

“I have no excuse as to why I stand before you today,” he said at his sentencing. “I understand that my actions were criminal and that I am fully responsible for my behavior.”

In a letter to the judge, Keller added, “I hope my case serves as a warning to anyone who rationalizes illegal behavior, especially in a moment of political fervor.”

“The consequences of my behavior will haunt me and my family for the rest of our lives.”