Thompson challenged almost nothing the government claimed to have done in the Capitol: he broke into the Senate’s office twice, stole a bottle of bourbon and a coat hanger, watched one of the most violent scenes in the uprising, and then fled. by a Capitol Officer was trying to interrogate him. Instead, Thompson claimed that he believed he was acting on the orders of then-President Donald Trump, who told the crowd that afternoon to march on the Capitol and “fight like hell.” The trial is a testament to this defense, which has so far been adopted by dozens of riot suspects, and could affect the way others disagree in court. Thompson’s defense attorney had previously asked Judge Reggie Walton, who is presiding over the case, for permission to ask the former President to testify during the trial. Walton denied the allegations, saying, “I do not think we want people to feel that they can listen to anyone and go out and commit a crime.” During his testimony, Thompson said he was fired from his job as an exterminator at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He said he was “isolated” and “stuck in the house” and eventually “fell out of the rabbit hole” in online conspiracy theories. When Joe Biden took the lead in the 2020 presidential election, Thompson testified, “he did not believe it was possible,” and he believed Trump when the then president claimed the election had been stolen. In the weeks that followed, Thompson embraced conspiracy theories, told the jury, and decided to attend the Jan. 6 rally after Trump tweeted about it. Thompson said he had heard every speaker during the “Stop the Steal” rally, which served as a prelude to the uprising, and that the speakers had repeated allegations of fraud. Thompson testified that after a year without a job, he felt good when Trump told the crowd that they were “stronger” and “smarter” than anyone. He then went to the Capitol, Thompson said, because “he felt I had to do something to gain his respect, his approval.” Justice Department attorneys tried to undermine Thompson’s argument by presenting the 38-year-old defendant as an adult who can make his own decisions.
Prosecutor William Dreher asked Thompson if “on the morning of January 6, 2021 you dressed alone” and if “no one told you what to wear?” “Yes,” Thompson replied. He also confirmed that he had arrived in court alone on Wednesday morning.
Dreher also claimed that Trump was not “standing next to” Thomson when he entered the Capitol, nor did the then President say in his speech that day that “it is now legal to steal from the United States Capitol building.”