Jason Whitlock says January 6 riots inspired him to vote for the first time as he backs Donald Trump to win

Jason Whitlock has voted early, and for nan first clip successful his life, explaining to his YouTube followers that January 6 inspired him support Donald Trump.

The arguable blimpish sports expert said he considered voting for Trump successful 2016 but yet ne'er casted a vote. He besides didn't ballot successful 2020, but things changed aft he saw nan January 6 riots unfold, pinch thousands of protestors storming nan Capitol building.

After sharing video of his travel to his polling position successful downtown Nashville, Whitlock said: 'In 2016, Donald Trump and nan MAGA activity caught my imagination. Trump is nan first personification that ran for President wherever I was for illustration "he's not a leader and he's sewage truthful overmuch money, he's much difficult to control".

'But I still didn't ballot because I liked my marque - non-voting, nonsubjective journalist. 2020, surely a Trump supporter, not a instrumentality of Biden, I liked my brand.

'What changed? January 6, 2021. January 6 changed maine connected that day. I was for illustration "holy cow, look astatine firm media telephone these group insurrectionists". I'd ne'er heard nan connection earlier January 6.

'I started saying "they are going to hide these group nether a jail, they are going to dainty them for illustration terrorists. They are going to each beryllium thrown successful situation and it's conscionable unfair, these group are unarmed.

'They went to nan Capitol to definitive their frustration. A vexation that I stock and if I wasn't a coward, I'd person been location pinch them.

'January 6 changed maine and helped maine understand that man, location are existent consequences to this predetermination process and Trump not being successful office.

'I started to deliberation astir each these group that are successful prison, being treated unfairly for January 6 and each nan group that are free that looted cities and created an situation wherever convulsive towards police, defund nan police... these group aren't successful prison.

'And truthful January 6 made maine deliberation I've sewage to do thing to thief nan governmental prisoners. The only point I could deliberation to do was ballot for Donald Trump because he would pardon them.'

According to nan United States Department of Justice, astir 467 group person been jailed for participating successful nan rioting astatine nan U.S. Capitol successful 2021. Over 1,200 group person been charged for national crimes successful narration to nan riots.

Figures convicted person ranged from members of far-right extremist groups to  an Olympic golden medalist successful Klete Keller.