‘I have no regrets on the actions that I took,’ Cowboys for Trump founder reflects on Jan. 6 riot a year later
OTERO COUNTY, New Mexico — Cowboys for Trump founder says he has “no regrets” for his actions one year after participating in the Jan. 6 assault on the United States Capitol building.
Couy Griffin, who is also a commissioner in Otero county, was seen in videos on the steps of the Capitol building with a sea of Trump supporters around him during the assault last year. Griffin said he borrowed a bullhorn and lead a group in attendance in prayer.
Griffin was arrested on January 17 and now faces a misdemeanor charge. A lawsuit against him alleges Griffin knowingly crossed into an unauthorized zone with a willful intent to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election. Griffin says he was not there to disrupt the election and had no idea he was in an unauthorized zone.
“Why I was there on January 6th was just to stand up for the sake of freedom,” Griffin explained to ABC 7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom in an exclusive interview.
Griffin described the last year as being tough with political battles and slander against his name, but says he still agrees with the actions he took last year.
“I don’t live a life of regret,” Griffin said.
After his arrest, Griffin says he was kept in solitary confinement for three weeks. When he got out, he felt that former president Donald Trump did not give him support while he was in jail. ABC 7 wanted to know if Griffin would support Trump if he ran for public office again.
“I’m disappointed in President Trump but that doesn’t mean that I’ve turned against him. That doesn’t mean that I bash him,” Griffin explained. He ended his thought saying he needed to pray on the matter to make a final decision.
His trial date is set for March 21. His attorneys say Griffin was targeted for prosecution by the federal government because of his ideologies and believe it is unfair. His attorneys have motioned for an evidentiary hearing where prosecutors would have to show why they are prosecuting Griffin.
Griffin was never seen going inside the Capitol building or being violent on camera.
