Son Of Convicted Jan. 6 Rioter Guy Reffitt: My Dad Was A Puppet Of Donald Trump
Aug. 3 2022, Published 3:54 p.m. ET
The family of the man sentenced to longest prison sentence for his role in the Jan. 6 riots appears to be split, RadarOnline.com has learned.
On one side, the wife and daughters of Guy Reffitt, speaking to media Aug. 2 after he was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for his actions at the U.S. Capitol, defending him somewhat.
With mom concluding the session with, “Y'all can go to hell and I'm going back to Texas.”
A more measured response was delivered by son Jason Reffitt on CNN. He said it's been very difficult for the family to handle their father's actions.
“It feels like we're each pulling on each string, one way,” Reffitt said. “But I don't view this as a political matter. This is more of what is morally correct and how to go about it.”
“What my father was manipulated into doing, and what he led to think was the best and only way to do it, he decided as an adult to make those choices,” he added. “And whether my family views it any differently, it doesn't have any effect on the outcome.”
“What my dad did is far from politics. This was completely off-the-rails violence. It's more about what he did, and who he did it for.”
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At the press conference, Reffitt's sister Peyton suggested that former President Donald Trump should be in prison for life, if dad for his actions gets seven plus years. Reffitt told CNN he was amazed by those comments.
“When she said that, I was flabbergasted. She was so right. My dad was used as a puppet, and thousands of families have been. It is disgusting to see that someone with practically money and social power can just get away with manipulating thousands of people for whatever reason, and have no outcome.”
Reffitt said he had one “really weird” phone call with his dad after the sentencing was handed down. He hopes there will be time in prison for mental rehabilitation, but he also worries about the potential impact of a harsh new environment.
“He is his own person, and he has made his own choices. But he's also been, pretty much, manipulated into making those choices. And it pains me that he is still responsible for his actions.”