WASHINGTON — Michael Fanone, a former police officer who was nearly killed by a mob during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, spoke outside the courthouse during closing arguments in Donald Trump's hush money trial on Tuesday, calling Trump 'an authoritarian' with 'a violence fetish.' Hours later, Fanone's mother was 'swatted' at her home in Virginia.
He left the Metropolitan Police Department in late 2021 after being assigned a desk job and feeling targeted by other officers within MPD. Fanone, who voted for Trump in 2016, spoke outside the courthouse Tuesday as part of a campaign event for President Joe Biden. He blamed Trump's 'lies' for the Capitol attack. 'These supporters were fueled by Trump’s lies and the lies of his surrogates, lies that the 2020 election was stolen,' Fanone said.