Trump supporter on the lam in Belarus goes on Russian state TV in bid to charm Putin: report
One of the Trump supporters charged for the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol appears to be sucking up to Vladimir Putin in an effort that appears designed to bolster his case to evade U.S. justice in Russia, according to a new report in The Daily Beast.
"Evan Neumann of Mill Valley, California, who fled to Belarus in order to escape criminal charges for his part in the attempted insurrection on Jan 6, 2021, has given an exclusive interview to Russia's state media outlet RT. In his previous appearance, which was on Belarusian state TV, Neuman inferred that Russia was his preferred destination, and Belarus simply happened to be closer," Julia Davis reported. "Now this man—on the run from the American justice system—seems to be courting refuge from President Putin."
Neuman has been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding police officers; obstruction of law enforcement; trespassing on restricted grounds; disorderly conduct in a restricted area; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
"The U.S. fugitive's comments to the notorious state media outlet seem like an attempt to ingratiate himself to the Kremlin and perhaps to land in Moscow at some point in the future," The Beast explained. "He provided RT with a tasty sound bite that is sure to play well in Russian propaganda circuits: 'I don't understand why Russia is our enemy today.' During his earlier interview with Belarusian TV, Neumann condemned the U.S. sanctions against Russia and Belarus and described them as 'a form of terrorism.'"
However, Neumann's history may complicate his efforts to hide out in Russia. Federal prosecutors noted that "Neumann's LinkedIn profile shows he attended the Ukrainian Orange Revolution in 2004 and 2005" which resulted in Kremlin ally Viktor Yanukovych's run-off election victory being annulled, with a revote won by Viktor Yushchenko.
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