Jacob Chansley Vs. the World and the Weirding of the American Mind

Back in the days of January 6, the only thing that wearied me more than the incessant keening from the Left about the threat to Democracy and “insurrection” was the constant barrage of images of Jacob Chansley and his headgear. The photo of him howling (coughing? yawning? Who knows?) and sounding his barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world in the Capitol was used and reused so many times that it became annoying. 

Of course, it was an interesting photo, and it was useful for those who wanted to portray anyone who was within 100 yards of the Capitol that day as a nutter. I purposely chose a different photo for this piece specifically because I am still sick of seeing it. After his moment in the spotlight, Chansley made an appearance on Tucker Carlson’s program and even did an interview with Michael Knowles. 

One would think that Chansley would have enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame, but he is back in the news, this time because of a massive lawsuit. According to the Independent, Chansley has filed a $40 million lawsuit against none other than Donald Trump. He is also targeting Elon Musk’s X, T-Mobile, and Warner Bros. Additionally, he has included the NSA, the Federal Reserve, the International Monetary Fund, the State of Israel, and the World Bank. The article says that, among other things, Chansley claims: 

• He is the true president of the United States.
• The NSA “catfished” him to co-opt his shamanic powers.
• He was the original author of the stories for “The Dark Knight” and “Avatar,” and his work was plagiarized.
• There are only two laws, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

He also has plans to create a $40 trillion one-ounce gold coin to pay off America’s debts. He withdrew his support for Trump over the Epstein files. 

That Carlson and Knowles would give Chansley oxygen is no surprise. He was interesting, if strange at the time, and “interesting” always makes for a better interview. That the Independent would highlight this lawsuit is not out of character for a left-leaning outlet, since it is a chance to underscore just how strange MAGA and MAGA-adjacent people can be, at least in the Left’s eyes. This, of course, ignores the millions of people who are either conservative or who have drifted away from Progressivism and who lead perfectly normal lives. By highlighting Chansley’s lawsuit, the Independent seeks to cast aspersion on anyone who does not toe the socially acceptable line. No surprises there. 

That Chansley would reemerge after a long absence may be symptomatic of the fact that he has missed the spotlight, but that would be a dubious assertion. It is more likely that he has had time to explore the various corners of the internet and ruminate about his own suspicions. With little else to do, he might have reached the conclusion that he is the real president, that Hollywood did steal his ideas, and so on. Then, he has concrete reasons for his suffering, and can then create a solution.

And then, there is the need to make oneself relevant, even if one’s input was not requested. Take, for example, the spiraling lunacy around Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the involvement of Israel and other actors. In such instances, we are seeing “personalities” whose time has passed, or perhaps never arrived, trying to inject their personal grievances and theories into a situation in an attempt to remain in the public eye, or simply for the sake of clicks.

It is not as if we have no reason to be skeptical. We have seen time and again how the MSM and government officials have selectively worded messages, creatively edited information, or outright lied to advance an agenda. And yes, I am being charitable in my description. After all, we are watching the Ministry of Truth blossom into full flower across the pond. So the idea that people with power and agendas are not working to maintain both is not that far-fetched. 

That, combined with the era of AI, social media influencers, and self-described internet docents who create their own versions of the news, and with people who are all too ready to declare their truth to be The Truth, it should come as no surprise that the social pareidolia that used to be the domain of a few is now becoming more commonplace. 

It can be difficult to wrestle with the fact that there are people in the world who are just no damn good, and that life is sometimes unfair. We want to find patterns, place blame, and seek a greater meaning in the chaos of the world, beyond the corrupt nature of the human heart and the idea that sometimes, things can go horribly wrong. 

Yes, there is evil in the world, and at times, the truth is stranger than fiction. And commensurate with a desire to find a deep pattern is the natural inclination to possess and impart some secret knowledge, which comes with a sense of power. That gnosis would, in theory, lead to a solution.

The intentions are not always mercenary. Recently, my family suffered two horrible events that were not of our own making. I will not go into the details, but they have altered our lives. We have dealt with the counsel that the events are the result of a spiritual attack (where is the spiritual defense?), that God is in control (maybe it’s time for a new mission statement), and God works all things out for the good (and exactly when will that happen). Those are well-meaning thoughts that are meant to offer comfort and context. But they do little to address the problems at hand.   

Then we have the idea that God has given humanity free will. The reader must forgive me when I confess that I have never found much comfort in that, since it seems on the face of things that God often apparently respects the will of the wicked and powerful at the expense of everyone else. 

In the end, we do have choices. In the insanity that seems to be prevalent in the 21st century, we can despair amidst the void and ask God, “What were You thinking? Why don’t You do something?” Or we can continue to look for monsters and cabals in the dark. Finally, we can recognize that free will is not just for the wicked and powerful but for men and women of goodwill. As much as we may hope for a miracle or divine intervention, more often than not, God chooses to work through people. We can choose to be obedient, even under the worst of circumstances.  

Searching for the truth is not always easy, but at PJ Media, we are dedicated to finding it and, when necessary, wrestling with it. If you would like to be a part of what we do, please consider becoming a VIP member. We would love to have you join us, and you can save 60% when you use the promo code FIGHT.