Proud Boy insists 'Nancy come out and play' threat was not directed at Pelosi as he faces federal charges for Jan. 6 riot
A Proud Boys member insisted he was taking a "glorified tour" of the U.S. Capitol when he stormed through its halls on Jan. 6 shouting apparent threats against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Gabriel Garcia, a former U.S. Army captain and failed Florida House of Representatives candidate from Miami, streamed live video from the insurrection yelling, "Nancy, come out and play," and denouncing so-called "traitors" as Donald Trump's supporters sought to overturn his election loss. But he told the Miami Herald that he wasn't trespassing because no police officers stopped him.
"It's the most the expensive tour of my life I can tell you that, but yes, a glorified tour," Garcia told the newspaper. "Believe it or not, wherever there was red velvet lines or any of that, I stayed there. I didn't wander off. My intentions were never to go into anyone's office, destroy anything."
Garcia claims he entered the Capitol because the doors were open and police seemed to be directing the crowds who were streaming inside, and said he only wanted to peacefully voice his concerns over alleged election fraud.
"My intention wasn't to go find Congress or walk in and stop the election process," Garcia said. "My intention was to have my voice heard and make sure that, you know, people listen."
The 40-year-old Garcia pleaded not guilty Tuesday in court to two federal felonies and four misdemeanors relating to disorderly conduct and trespassing in the Capitol, and he admits to ominously paraphrasing a quote from the 1979 movie "The Warriors" but insists he wasn't threatening the House Speaker outside her office.
"Which Nancy am I talking about? I never said speaker of the house. Nancy Lopez? Maybe Nancy Reagan?" Garcia said, referring to one of his patio and roofing customers and the late first lady. "Is there proof I was talking about Nancy Pelosi? Can you prove it? Or anybody out there? I would love to see the proof. If someone can get in my head and tell me, hey, I'm talking about Nancy Pelosi, but no, I wasn't."
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