In a dramatic confrontation that underscored deep political divisions, Enrique Tarrio, the former chairman of the Proud Boys and recently-pardoned political prisoner, clashed with former Capitol Police officers Michael Fanone, Harry Dunn, and Aquilino Gonell at the Principles First summit in Washington, D.C. Enrico Tarrio, who has been an outspoken critic of the treatment he received following the January 6th Capitol incident, did not hold back in his verbal assault against the officers.
Tarrio, who served 16 months of a 22-year sentence handed down by what many see as the politically-motivated Biden regime, received a pardon from President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025. His release was part of a larger clemency initiative by Trump that saw the pardoning of 1,500 protesters associated with the Capitol protests. Despite not being physically present during the protests, Tarrio faced the longest sentence of all the defendants, emphasizing the controversial nature of his prosecution.
At the Cucks First summit we ran into @libradunn and Michael Fanone and said hello we invited them to lunch to discuss what punishment they should receive. @NobleOne @DomPezzola0351 @notvemmiller pic.twitter.com/21JqfvJUiP
— Ivan Raiklin (@IvanRaiklin) February 22, 2025
Video footage shared widely on social media captured Tarrio’s fiery rebuke. In this footage, he can be seen following the officers through a hotel lobby, asserting, “You were brave on Twitter. You guys were brave at my sentencing when you sat there and laughed when I got 22 f**king years. Now you don’t want to look in my eyes, you f**king cowards. You are a coward that day. You are a coward after, and you are still a coward.”
Tarrio’s confrontation with Fanone had a particularly sharp edge, as the officer escalated the argument by calling Tarrio a traitor. To this, Tarrio retorted, “And so are you. You’re a f**king traitor, you piece of sh*t. That’s why they fired your ass. That’s why your own people turned on you. You’re a piece of sh*t.” The interaction reportedly left Fanone visibly shaken, a stark contrast to his media-savvy persona that has emerged since his testimonies became public.
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Part2 pic.twitter.com/rZeFCEttTb
— Ivan Raiklin (@IvanRaiklin) February 22, 2025
Gonell, reflecting on the confrontation during the summit, expressed disbelief at the situation. “A few moments ago, we were upstairs, and Enrique Tarrio and the Proud Boys were upstairs,” he said. “How they got into the building, I don’t know, but it’s insane that we had to be subjected to their harassment now because they feel emboldened and empowered because of the pardons that they received. We shouldn’t be harassed for doing the right thing, for telling our story, for telling the truth, for speaking against them in court and in public. They’re the traitors. They’re the one who attacked the Capitol.”
This incident comes amid Fanone’s public statements of feeling betrayed by his country following Trump’s mass pardons. In a recent interview with Anderson Cooper, Fanone lamented, “I have been betrayed by my country, and I’ve been betrayed by those that supported Donald Trump, whether you voted for him because he promised these pardons, or for some other reason, you knew that this was coming.”
"I have been betrayed by my country": Former DC police officer Michael Fanone talks to Anderson after President Trump pardons more than 1,000 convicted of committing crimes during the January 6 attack on the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/fhN3dhqbPz
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) January 21, 2025
Many argue that Trump’s pardons were a necessary action to counter the politically-driven prosecutions carried out by the Biden regime, symbolizing a significant correction against liberal media narratives that have long dominated discourse around the Capitol riots.