The Oath Keepers' seditious conspiracy trial took an unexpected turn on Wednesday when defendant Jessica Watkins — a military veteran from Ohio — decided to testify in her own defense.
Oath Keeper says she was"another idiot" inside Capitol on Jan. 6, but did not plan to obstruct Congress The Oath Keepers' seditious conspiracy trial took an unexpected turn on Wednesday when defendant Jessica Watkins — a military veteran from Ohio — decided to testify in her own defense, a move that put her face to face with the Washington, D.C., jury that is set to decide her guilt.Watkins is accused of mobilizing a group of Oath Keepers to Washington, D.C, on Jan.
But Watkins testified her plan was not to storm the Capitol, but instead to provide medical care and security during the planned protests, a common defense at trial. The day took a turn, she said, when she said she became"another idiot" inside the Capitol building, a part of the mob. Her mention of storming the Capitol, she argued, was an outcome of joining the crowd. Watkins claimed she thought the certification of Electoral College votes was over.
"I thought it was an American moment," Watkins said of her mindset in the days after the attack, I"took one for the team." But she reflected that she has since come to regret her actions and is no longer proud of her role in the events of Jan. 6. The jury heard testimony that Watkins ultimately returned home to Ohio and bought a bar after her family"warmly" came to terms with her identity.
"I got a steady diet of InfoWars and Alex Jones," Watkins said of that period in her life, which led her to join the far-right Oath Keepers group. She learned the group was going to protect Trump ally Roger Stone on Jan. 6 — which she said she was"stoked" for — and at one at point there were discussions of protecting a member of Congress.
Despite ample evidence demonstrating her knowledge of some QRFs on Jan. 6 — including a message she sent on Jan. 4 about dropping off weapons — Watkins said Wednesday nothing was"firm."
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