Jacob Chansley, the Jan. 6 protester whose horned fur hat, bare chest, and face paint made him one of the more recognizable figures in the chaos at the Capitol, told Newsmax his life is “forever changed” after serving 41 months in prison for obstructing an official proceeding.

“That’s why the defense’s closing statement in yesterday’s hearing is so important because he basically illustrated the fact that based on the government’s interpretation of this statute, they could, if they wanted to, go after peaceful protesters. They could use this tyrannical dragnet of a statute to go after people and throw them in prison for 20 years, based on exercising their First Amendment rights,” Chansley told Newsmax TV’s “Carl Higbie FRONTLINE” Wednesday regarding the Supreme Court questioning whether federal prosecutors went too far in bringing obstruction charges against hundreds of participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

“So, what we allow the government to do to others, it will most certainly do to us, and that is why the Supreme Court must put the executive branch in check so that the balance of power can be maintained in the United States of America,” he added.

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