Accused Jan. 6 rioter caught lurking around Obama’s house had an arsenal at the ready

Taylor Taranto, the 37-year-old accused Jan. 6 rioter apprehended near the home of former President Barack Obama on Thursday, had several weapons and a slew of ammunition with him, according to recent updates.

Per a report given by federal authorities on Friday, Obama’s would-be attacker “had two guns and 400 rounds of ammunition in his van when he was arrested,” as well as a machete. 

According to NBC News, “Taranto’s van has been parked near the D.C. jail in recent weeks and he has appeared at protests in support of other Jan. 6 defendants . . . Noting that he lived in the van, a federal prosecutor said Taranto had ‘nowhere to go.'”

In a statement from a federal prosecutor, Taranto, a known Trump supporter, “has been in Washington to take House Speaker Kevin McCarthy up on his offer of letting Jan. 6 defendants review security footage of the Capitol riot relevant to their cases.

“We got these losers surrounded!” he wrote on Telegram prior to being arrested. “See you in hell, Podesta’s and Obama’s!”

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Per NBC’s reporting, “Taranto showed up at Obama’s residence on Thursday after former President Donald Trump posted screenshots on his Truth Social platform that featured a purported address for Obama’s home in Washington. Taranto’s account reposted Trump’s post.”

He is currently up against four misdemeanor counts in connection with Jan. 6 and is being held in custody until a detention hearing can be had next week.