A pardoned January 6 rioter who punched a police officer has claimed that his actions were self-defense years after pleading guilty to charges relating to the assault.
Scott Fairlamb, a retired MMA fighter, was interviewed by The Daily Show's Jordan Klepper as part of a special called "MAGA: The Next Generation," which aired on Monday.
During the special, Klepper asked Fairlamb about the assault, which was caught on camera.
"Obviously, there were paid instigators, agitators and motivators that were in that crowd," Fairlamb said.
"They were manipulating people?" Klepper responded.
"Absolutely," Fairlamb stated.
"How did they manipulate you to punch a cop?" Klepper asked.
"Now you're just trying to be funny. That makes no f***ing sense," Fairlamb said.
"Do you not see your actions as violent that day?" Klepper asked.
"I see it as self-defense," Fairlamb stated.
On January 6, 2021, Fairlamb, who participated in the Capitol riots, began attacking police officers, yelling, "You have no idea what the f*** you're doing." He then shoved one officer and proceeded to punch him in the head, according to court documents.
Fairlamb pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting a police officer and obstructing an official proceeding in 2021, after which he was sentenced to 41 months in prison.
"It's such a serious offense ... an affront to society and to the law, to have the Capitol overrun and the function of government stopped," Judge Royce Lamberth said at the time, noting that the assault had struck "in the heart of our democracy."
"I truly regret my actions that day. I have nothing but remorse," Fairlamb said in court. "My life got pulled out from under me, and it's no one's fault but myself."
As the interview with Fairlamb continued, Klepper pointed out that many of those who participated in the January 6 Capitol riots viewed themselves as victims instead of violent offenders.
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