Capitol rioter laments he’s going to jail for “NFT salesman” Trump

Far-right internet troll and infamous Capitol rioter Anthime “Tim” Gionet joined fellow supporters of former President Donald Trump on Twitter Thursday in expressing disappointment over Trump’s “major announcement” earlier in the day.

Gionet, better known as “Baked Alaska,” pleaded guilty in July for his part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, according to court documents.

The online personality had live-streamed himself and other Trump supporters as they broke into the Capitol, and was captured in footage stepping into the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

On Thursday, Gionet lamented about his prior dedication to the former president, tweeting, “i can’t believe i’m going to jail for an nft salesman.”

According to court documents, Gionet has been charged with “parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building” and could face up to six months in prison. His sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for January 10, 2023.

Trump teased on social media earlier this week that his supporters could expect a “major announcement” on Thursday, one month after announcing his presidential bid, only to reveal on his Truth Social account his “official Donald Trump Digital Trading Card Collection,” which cost $99 each.

The news came as a disappointment to many MAGA voters, and was mocked by several others online. Some Twitter users also contemplated if the announcement could work in favor of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is anticipated to run against Trump for the GOP nomination in 2024.

The former president’s approval rating was also at its lowest point in seven years roughly a day before his digital trading cards were released. A Quinnipiac University poll posted on Wednesday found that 59 percent of registered voters had an unfavorable opinion of him.

Gionet tweeted shortly after Trump’s announcement that the former president could not win the 2024 nomination “with the amount of base he’s lost.” The internet personality has also shown his support for rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, in the next presidential election.

“We don’t care about Israel, we don’t care about trading cards, tax cuts, and lgbtqxx, we want Christ first politics for our nation no exceptions!” Gionet wrote.

Gionet, who has been deemed a white supremacist by the Southern Poverty Law Center, was banned from Twitter in 2017 when the platform’s former leadership was working to remove racist users.

However, he was reinstated to the platform this past Sunday, adding to the list of controversial profiles that Twitter CEO Elon Musk has reinstated since he acquired the company in late October.

Newsweek has reached out to Trump’s team for comment.