Trump gets blamed for literally everything.
Taylor Taranto, who was apprehended close to the former residence of President Barack Obama last month, will remain in police custody until his trial. However, the judge overseeing the case expressed understanding towards Taranto’s circumstances.
According to Fox, U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui indicated that he does not believe Taranto is likely to flee, but he acknowledged the need to consider the potential danger posed by the suspect’s possession of firearms and threats made towards elected officials.
Taranto, a veteran of the Iraq war, will continue to be held in detention in Washington, D.C.
Faruqui further remarked that he believes Taranto was merely following orders.
On the day of his eventual arrest, Taranto allegedly shared a message from former President Donald Trump on Truth Social, which included Obama’s reported address, according to prosecutors.
Expressing frustration, Faruqui told Taranto, “If our system was fair, you wouldn’t be here.“
The judge also conveyed that the criminal justice system had “let down” Taranto as a military veteran of the United States.
Addressing Taranto’s social media activity, Faruqui noted the excessive intensity in political discussions and acknowledged his lack of context for the suspect’s speech.
During the hearing on Wednesday, prosecutors clarified previous confusion surrounding the case, stating that Taranto was in possession of firearms but not explosives, and he was technically not on the Obamas’ property at the time of his arrest.
Taranto, a 37-year-old resident of Washington state, was already wanted by authorities for alleged involvement in the January 6 riot when Secret Service agents apprehended him on June 29 in Washington, D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood.
The arrest occurred one day after Taranto livestreamed a video on his public YouTube channel, where he claimed to possess a detonator and threatened to blow up his “self-driving” vehicle at the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Gaithersburg headquarters in Maryland, as per prosecutors.
The preliminary hearing for the case is scheduled for July 25, and the defense has stated its intention to appeal the decisions regarding detention.