Derrick Evans, a January 6th rioter who pleaded guilty to civil disorder, went on CNN to be interviewed by Donnie O’Sullivan about his thoughts on the insurrection. During the interview, Evans told O’Sullivan that he had done “nothing wrong.”

“Nothing wrong” despite the fact that Evans pleaded guilty a felony version of civil disorder and served three months in the District of Columbia. He is now running for Congress.

A hat-tip to Mediaite for bringing us the transcript:

O’SULLIVAN: National media headlines about you is January 6th insurrectionist, now he’s running for Congress. What do you want people to know about you beyond that big headline?

EVANS: Well, first of all, I’m a husband and I’m a father. I’ve got four beautiful children. I love my family very much. I love my community. I love my country. And I think it’s despicable that you know, the media and particularly CNN, has helped paint this false narrative of insurrection.

It was on live television. The “false narrative” is a bit difficult to swallow, given the number of officers hurt and the number of people acting violently in front of anyone glued to a screen. Many of us told our kids that this was their 9-11.

O’SULLIVAN: How would you characterize what happened on January 6th?

EVANS: January 6th was the most patriotic day of my life.

[EVANS’ VOICE IN VIDEO CLIP]: We’re not putting up with this tyrannical rule.

About 60 lawsuits were filed without a single one showing any malfeasance or cheating that would have impacted the election. This is also awfully rich coming from a man who has said that he would act as a dictator for “one day” (which is all one needs to sign orders that last entire terms.)

EVANS: I did nothing wrong that day. We have natural God-given rights in this country. I know a lot of people out there and a lot of your viewers, there were probably a lot of good people, but they believe that our rights come from the government. That’s simply not true. Our rights come from God.

Natural laws are real. But with respect to voting and how votes are counted – legitimately – those come from our laws, state by state, and covered in the Constitution.

[EVANS’ VOICE IN VIDEO CLIP]: Calm down, guys. Calm down in the back.

EVANS: I’m heard reminding people to be peaceful and nonviolent and non-destructive.

[EVANS’ VOICE IN VIDEO CLIP]: We’re in. We’re in. Derrick Evans is in the Capitol. No vandalizing property.

EVANS: I did more to control the crowd than the police did that day. And I’m the one who goes to prison.

O’SULLIVAN: So why were you sent to prison?

EVANS: Because this is a political charges right now. I’m a political prisoner. All these people in prison are political prisoners.

O’SULLIVAN: You did decide to plead guilty.

EVANS: Yes.

This would seem to be a problem and yet, in weighing one’s options, people will plead guilty to crimes that they believe they are innocent of truly because the consequences could be so severe.

O’SULLIVAN: So that was out of practicality?

EVANS: Well, I mean, when you’re facing 24 years in prison, what options you have? I was ready to move on with my life, and the Constitution is written for one reason and one reason only. It’s written to prevent the government from infringing on our natural God-given rights. What I was doing that day was not only protected by the Constitution, it was protected by those natural God-given rights of free speech.

You do have a right to free speech, but you do not have a right to riot or destroy property, and you certainly don’t have the right to disobey a lawful order by law enforcement. He pleaded to a felony – we are beyond “free speech” at this point.

Evans then “let the cat out of the bag” for lack of a better cliche.

[EVANS’ VOICE IN VIDEO CLIP]: We’re in. We’re in. Derrick Evans is in the Capitol. No vandalizing property.

EVANS: I did more to control the crowd than the police did that day. And I’m the one who goes to prison.

O’SULLIVAN: So why were you sent to prison?

EVANS: Because this is a political charges right now. I’m a political prisoner. All these people in prison are political prisoners.

No, they are not political prisoners. Again, if one needs proof, simply try it at your local courthouse and see what happens.

Or, if one has a time machine, go back to January 7th or 8th and remember the mood throughout the country – before the event was sufficiently whitewashed. Even Mitch McConnell suggested that Trump be subjected to investigation and prosecution after he voted “not guilty” on the second impeachment.

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Jason Miciak is Executive Editor at Political Flare and Editor at Large for Occupy Democrats, he can be reached at [email protected]