There was a difficult time explaining his actions to a jury this week.
Matthew Bledsoe is accused of obstruction of an official proceeding, entering or remaining in a restricted building, and disorderly and disruptive conduct. Bledsoe was a witness in the trial on Wednesday.
His lawyer, Jerry Ray Smith, told jurors in closing statements that he should not be found guilty of any of the other charges. The jury is expected to begin deliberations later in the day.
Media attention at the federal courthouse in D.C. zeroed in on the contempt of Congress trial of Steve Bannon, a Trump ally and former White House strategist who refused to comply with a subpoena for documents and testimony from the House select committee investigating January 6.
According to Bledsoe, he didn't know that Congress had certified Joe Biden's election win. He told jurors that he didn't know what was happening in the Capitol on the day of the riot. The electoral college certification process was mentioned in Donald Trump's speech at the Ellipse.
Bledsoe filmed himself saying "Where are those pieces of s--- at" as he entered the Capitol through a broken glass door. There were alarms in the background.
Who were the pieces? The assistant U.S. attorney asked Bledsoe. Bledsoe insisted that he was not referring to lawmakers but rather the people who he thought had stolen an election.
Carter showed an image that Bledsoe had reposted on social media that depicted members of Congress hunkering down inside the House during the riot, with a caption suggesting that politicians should be afraid.
Bledsoe said that he didn't have all the information when he reposted it.
Bledsoe said he didn't mean to say it was good that someone planted bombs near the Capitol. He said he didn't mean to say he "stormed the Capitol."
In an attempt to explain why he climbed a wall to get to the Capitol, Bledsoe said his home in Tennessee was quite a bit different than D.C.
Bledsoe said he couldn't hear Capitol alarms because he couldn't see them.
Carter told the jury that Bledsoe had a foggy recollection of the day of the riot.
Carter said that Bledsoe didn't see the things that could hurt him. He said what he said.
You have a right to be wherever you want to be. Carter doesn'tstorm his friend's house when he goes over for dinner. He said he went to the Capitol.
Bledsoe's lawyer argued that the government didn't prove that Bledsoe went in with the intent to obstruct an official proceeding.
Bledsoe realized that he was not welcome at the Capitol when he saw the tear gas in the rotunda.
About 850 people have been arrested by the FBI in relation to the attack. Over 200 people have already been sentenced after pleading guilty.
The first six insurrection defendants were found guilty on all of their charges. Only one of the defendants has been fully acquitted.
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