The Facts
Joshua Pruitt, a 40-year-old Maryland man who has been affiliated with the far-right Proud Boys group, was sentenced on Mon. to 55 months in federal prison for partaking in the US Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
He pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding on June 6. He was caught on video pursuing police officers and destroying a sign inside the Capitol.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Most people convicted for their involvement in the Jan. 6 riots are receiving relatively lenient sentences, which allows for truth and reconciliation. But a wider message must still be sent regarding more serious offenders in order to protect democracy in the US.
Pro-Trump narrative
It's absurd to prosecute those who participated in the Jan. 6 protests with such ferocity. The Democrats are the real anti-Americans, demonizing patriotic citizens as "domestic terrorists."
