Stewart Rhodes, leader of the far-right, anti-government militia group the Oathkeepers, shared a message of warning for twice-indicted former President Donald Trump. Rhodes, who was handed an 18-year prison sentence for seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, alleged that the federal government was attempting to turn Trump’s closest allies and advisors against him.
“They’re going to do the same thing to President Trump that they did to me,” Rhodes told The Washington Times from the D.C. Department of Corrections Central Detention Facility. He added a message directed towards Trump himself: “You’re going to get railroaded. You’re going to be found guilty if you try to go to trial.”
“So everyone’s been demoralized and more likely to take a plea deal and agree to ‘test-a-lie’ against President Trump,” Rhodes continued. “I didn’t enter the Capitol, but I was still found guilty by a D.C. jury of obstructing an official proceeding even though I didn’t even go inside. And I was found guilty of seditious conspiracy, although they had zero evidence of an actual plan. They just used my speech. It will be the same thing with President Trump.” “They threatened [witnesses] with life in prison,” Rhodes added. “That’s what’s going to happen to President Trump.” The Washington Times reported that Rhodes predicted the ex-president would be sentenced by a progressive judge, similar to other individuals who were convicted in connection to the Jan. 6 attacks. The Justice Department succeeded in convicting Rhodes and Oathkeeper Florida chapter leader Kelly Meggs in November, following a two-month federal trial. Federal prosecutors have charged 11 people with seditious conspiracy related to the insurrection.
