"Hell on earth." For John Strand, those three words best describe the year in prison he served for one felony and four misdemeanor crimes at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Strand was freed July 24 from a federal prison in Louisiana thanks to a June 28 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that knocked out the top charge against him for allegedly obstructing Congress on Jan. 6. He said his time in the federal Bureau of Prisons lockups in Miami, Florida, and Oakdale, Louisiana, was something "you would not wish on your worst enemy." FULL INTERVIEW: J6 Prisoner John Strand “This is TRUE Fascism” www.youtube.com Strand — a self-described maverick, Hollywood actor, fashion model, musician, and author — said he felt incredible relief when he walked out the front door of the Federal Correctional Institution - Oakdale. "I learned a lot, and God did a lot of great things," Strand said hours later during an interview with Blaze News. "But it was terrible, so I was glad to get out of there, that’s for sure." Strand's release from custody was just the latest point in a long journey that began during the COVID-19 lockdowns and led to the huge protest at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and to three and a half years of investigation, a trial, and a brutal prison experience. His release was facilitated by the Supreme Court ruling in Fischer v. United States, in which the high court severely restricted the use of a white-collar corporate fraud statute against protesters who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6. 'I was viciously abused in an isolation environment for about four straight months, which was essentially like being waterboarded.' The court majority said U.S. Code 18 §1512(c)(2), which carries up to 20 years in prison, applies only if defendants "impaired the availability or integrity for use in an official proceeding of records, documents, objects or ... other things used in the proceeding, or attempted to do so." The wording of the ruling was good news for Strand, whose Washington, D.C., trial judge had already said there was no evidence that Strand committed that type of act on Jan. 6. On Strand's second petition for release from prison in 2024, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered that he be released on July 24, after serving a year in prison for his four misdemeanor convictions. Strand had already appealed his entire case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. That appeal is still pending. Ever since the Supreme Court agreed in December 2023 to hear the challenge to how the U.S. Department of Justice had used the law against political protesters, Strand, 41, of Naples, Florida, said he'd been "watching like a hawk" for updates. "Dr. [Simone] Gold gave me the good news," Strand wrote to Blaze News in a July 19 message from prison. "I was tremendously grateful to God, to her, and to my other attorneys, to my indescribably amazing parents and siblings. I was filled with peace — a calm, strength, and confidence we receive from God, not without conflict and struggle, but in spite of it." Jan. 6 prisoner John Strand emerges from the Federal Correctional Institution – Oakdale in Louisiana on the morning of July 24, freed by a federal court order. At left is his friend Dr. Simone Gold, founder of America's Frontline Doctors.Photo courtesy of John Strand, used with permission "I knew that decision was coming imminently in a few days, and I would watch on the morning news. Then on June 28 they announced it, and I basically did what President Trump did. I did some pretty strong fist pumps and exultation and gratitude." The welcome ruling in the Fischer case, however, won't erase the nightmarish existence Strand said he lived while in prison. Those memories are most likely permanent, including the dehumanizing four months he spent in solitary confinement. Only faith kept him going. “I prayed a lot. I’m a man of faith, and my relationship with God is the only reason I even started on this journey, and it's certainly what’s kept me strong through it," Strand told "Blaze News Tonight" anchor Jill Savage. "I didn’t feel strong in isolation. I felt like hell. I was in hell," Strand said. "That was definitely hell on earth. It’s the closest I ever want to get to hell." Strand was thrown into solitary confinement twice in 2023. The second instance came after U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) publicly spoke about his case and how she said he had been "tortured and abused" behind bars in Miami. 'It’s not anything you would wish on your worst enemy.' "They put me in this interrogation room and grilled me about this like I had something to do with it," Strand said, "like a scene out of a movie, and then threw me back in, and I wasn’t seen again for three and a half months.” During that time, Strand said he was not just prohibited most human contact but also forbidden to speak to his case attorney or to have any mail or calls from family. Strand told Sara Gonzales, host of "Sara Gonzales Unfiltered" on BlazeTV, that the isolation was "physically miserable." "I was abused and — in a manner of speaking — tortured for a period of four months," Strand said. "Blocked from access to my attorneys. Blocked from access to any information about what was going on and why it was happening to me." Strand said it would take several pages of his forthcoming book, "Patriot Plea," to adequately describe the experience. "It’s not anything you would wish on your worst enemy," he said. The isolation, considered a form of torture and condemned by international law, causes incredible mental strain, Strand said. "The mind turning in on itself, it happens faster than you think," he said. "Particularly when you don't know the end date. "So they throw you in there, and they don't tell you really anything. A lot of times they don't even tell you what they throw you in there for, but they definitely don't tell you when you can expect to get out." "My time in prison was actually split between two facilities," he said. "The first half in Miami, where I was viciously abused in an isolation environment for about four straight months, which was essentially like being waterboarded." Strand was transferred out of Miami to the prison in Oakdale, Louisiana, in early 2024. That facility was "definitely less oppressive," he said, but it was still like "I was trying to breathe the oxygen of freedom through a straw from underneath a swamp.” Former Jan. 6 prisoner John Strand said his experience at the federal prison in Miami was "essentially like being waterboarded." Strand told "Blaze News Tonight" host Jill Savage, "I was viciously abused in an isolation environment for about four straight months."Photo by BlazeTV Gold, the founder of America's Frontline Doctors who was with Strand at the Capitol on Jan. 6, said she could not believe how deeply isolated he was in the Miami prison. "I'm an attorney. I'm a licensed member of the bar," Gold said. "We tried many times to get in because I have a personal relationship with John. I didn't just do it on my own behalf. We had his appellate attorney, lead appellate attorney, also requesting to get in. "They didn't let any attorney make a phone call or an email or letter," she said. "It was unbelievable that you can just disappear somebody in our American system." 'They couldn't wait to see another MAGA Republican lynched.' Strand was serving as the bodyguard for Gold on Jan. 6. She was in Washington, D.C., to give a speech on medical freedom and COVID-19. That event had a Capitol Police-issued permit and was scheduled to be held on Capitol grounds. Due to the swarm of people who walked to the Capitol after then-President Donald J. Trump's speech, the speaking event never took place. Strand had become involved in the movement to get accurate information out into the public about COVID and emerging medical protocols that showed success against the viral disease. "I helped to co-lead the Beverly Hills freedom rally, which started to draw thousands and thousands of people into downtown Beverly Hills in support of health and human rights," Strand said. "We had a lot of really notable people come and speak, along with Dr. Gold being one of them. That's how we first met." Strand had worked other events providing personal security for Gold, while also working his way up into a job as creative director for America's Frontline Doctors. "John was working for me; that's why he was there," said Gold, who had four speaking engagements that week. "So neither of us actually went specifically to protest the election results. We were there because there's a large crowd to talk to." Dr. Simone Gold (left) and former Jan. 6 prisoner John Strand discuss Strand's release from federal prison with Jill Savage and Steve Baker on the July 24 episode of "Blaze News Tonight."Photo by BlazeTV Security video from inside the Capitol shows Gold attempting to give a speech by bullhorn inside Statuary Hall. After police pushed the crowd out just before 3 p.m., Gold and Strand moved to the Great Rotunda. She stood on the platform of a statue of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and gave her speech through a bullhorn. Gold faced the same five charges as Strand: the 20-year felony for obstruction of Congress and four trespass-related misdemeanors. She opted to take a plea agreement on one misdemeanor count and was sentenced to 60 days in prison. "A felony is a pretty scary moment," Gold said. "But I decided to take a plea. I thought it was the most rational decision. We know that all the J6 defendants will get convicted. So I don't regret the decision to take a single misdemeanor plea." Strand said he suspected from the beginning that Jan. 6 would end with his incarceration. "I knew in January of 2021 that the endgame here was prison at least," Strand said. "Yeah, and who knows what else. I knew that that was coming. I knew that was part of the script. And I knew that God had called me to do the right thing no matter what their scripts. "So they tried it with me, and I just said, 'Bring it on.'" Strand and Gold had the same experience that many Jan. 6 defendants faced, starting with a terrifying FBI SWAT raid. It was so over the top, he said, it reflected the "legalization of American fascism." "We were assaulted," Strand recalled. "We were in the living room on a conference call with several other colleagues, working on a Monday morning at around maybe 11, shortly before noon. And suddenly we heard just the most bloodcurdling screams you can imagine. Former Jan. 6 prisoner John Strand sits down for a shave in the makeup room at BlazeTV after going for a year without a shave or haircut while in prison. Photo by Steve Baker/Blaze News "They were screaming, 'FBI! FBI! Open the door!'" Strand said. "We froze, thinking it's a prank. And then within about 30 to 40 seconds, they broke the door to pieces. And then a dozen agents with assault rifles and red laser-sight dots bouncing on your chest. It basically was the scene straight out of a Jason Bourne movie." Gold said the SWAT raid was so surreal she had trouble believing it was really happening. "I really thought it was a Colombian cartel coming to murder me," she said. "That's really what I thought. No way did I think this was real. It was so over the top. I'm a public person. You could pick up the phone, you could call me. No how, no way did we think this was real." Strand said he tried to enter his September 2022 trial with a sense of realism. Facing a jury pool with 95% who voted Democrat in the 2020 presidential race, it was not a promising outlook. "They were hanging on every word," Strand said. "They were hanging on every word. They couldn't wait to see another MAGA Republican lynched. That was a lynching." Strand did not shave or get a haircut during his year behind bars. After being interviewed by three Blaze Media personalities on July 24, he was ready to dispatch the thick, wavy facial hair. He sat in the makeup room at BlazeTV and was treated to a shave by El Barber Shop in Irving, Texas. Through more than 43 months, Strand has endured it all. His Christian faith serves as a sword and buckler as he puts on the full armor of God — as described by St. Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians. While he is bruised from the battle, Strand is not bowed or broken. He hopes telling his story in interviews and his forthcoming book will help others and inspire change. He said he would not wish away the experience — even knowing how difficult it has been. "I have not regretted it for a single second since it started," he said. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Team USA Olympic basketball star and NBA player Steph Curry said that he hopes Vice President Kamala Harris will win the 2024 presidential election.Curry's comments came during a press conference ahead of the Olympic basketball games in Paris, where he was asked about a longtime connection he has had with the vice president. Harris was born in Oakland, the same area where Curry's Golden State Warriors play.In 2021, Curry presented Harris with a special jersey after snubbing the White House while Donald Trump was president.'Kamala Harris is a great candidate, and I will support her.'In Paris, Curry said Harris would bring "energy" to the 2024 election."Vice President Harris is primed to bring her energy to this campaign, and hopefully she’s on the ticket winning the election, but it's a big deal to say the least," Curry said in a video posted by ESPN's Coley Harvey. "She represents the Bay Area. She's been a big supporter of us, so I want to give that energy right back to her.""Just excited on, obviously, we're representing our country. This is a monumental next couple months for our country and the direction that we’re heading. Hopefully, this is a great way to do our part and continue to unifying the country," Curry continued."Sports brings a lot of people together. For her in this moment, knowing what's ahead, it’s all about positive energy and optimism knowing how divided our country is right now."NBA writer Marc J. Spears posted a quote from Coach Kerr similarly endorsing Harris."Kamala Harris is a great candidate, and I will support her," Kerr reportedly said.The vice president recently visited the basketball team in Las Vegas before its trip overseas."Our nation is cheering you on. We are so proud of you," she told the players, per NBC News. "Go to Paris and bring back that gold," she continued. Harris added that the players represent the country from "every walk of life" and highlighted their responsibility as role models. NBA star Kevin Durant called it "an honor" for her to make the visit, while Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo said the visit was a story he'll be able to tell his "kid's kid's kids about."Curry and Coach Kerr recently made statements after the attempted assassination of former President Trump, expressing sorrow over the situation."Thank God Trump wasn't hit, but it's just so demoralizing in every which way," Kerr said."It's obviously a very sad time in general," Curry remarked. "All the conversations around the election and the state of politics in our country, and then you have a situation like this, which just [evokes] a lot of emotions around things that we need to correct as a people."Both Curry and Kerr then advocated for stricter gun control measures despite the shooter reportedly obtaining the gun from his father.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

After President Joe Biden took himself out of the 2024 presidential race, he quickly endorsed Kamala Harris as the next Democratic nominee via social media. And shockingly, one of the biggest leftist organizations, which has profited quite well off of the racial divide in America, isn’t happy about it. Black Lives Matter took to X to criticize the Democratic Party for appointing Harris as the 2024 nominee without a public voting process, calling the move undemocratic. “A 24-hour process of talking to party bosses is not democratic, nor is it a process Democrats should be proud of. We do not live in a dictatorship. Delegates are not oligarchs,” BLM wrote. “Installing Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee and an unknown vice president without any public voting process would make the modern Democratic Party a party of hypocrites.” “We call on the @DNC to create a process that allows for public participation in the nomination process, not just a nomination by party delegates,” it concluded. The men of “Pat Gray Unleashed” are in shock. “Who got ahold of their account?” Keith Malinak asks. “Wow, that is outstanding. When was the last time we agreed with anything Black Lives Matter said?” Gray asks. “That was the first and last time it’s happened. That’s incredible, but that’s so well-put.” Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

U.S. women's soccer player Tierna Davidson argued that it would be more difficult for the squad to represent gay people after her teammate shared a religious video on social media.Davidson spoke about Korbin Albert, her 20-year-old teammate who faced criticism online for sharing a video from a Christian service that showed a person with an intellectual disability giving a speech about stopping his gender transition.Albert also deleted a post from 2023 in which her family reportedly took turns stating their "pronouns are U.S.A.," which was also criticized.'I want to be able to represent the queer community really well on this team.'Davidson spoke to ESPN reporter Sarah Spain before the U.S. team played Zambia in the Olympics."It's been difficult," she said of the controversy around Albert. Davidson, who is gay, according to Fox News, added that she didn't want anything to hinder her ability to support gay people while playing soccer."It was difficult for me when it first happened, and it's been hard to hear how fans have been taking it because I feel like I want to be able to represent the queer community really well on this team, and so I want to have fans feel really welcome and feel like they can see themselves on this field in this team, so I don't want there to be any sort of feeling that they are not welcome here.""I think it’s a difficult situation that has obviously affected me personally given what she was speaking on. I think that it is something you have to learn as a young player, especially with the platform that you're given," she added.Despite Davidson's supposition, she is only 25, just five years older than Albert. She then claimed that Albert's choice to share the video can "hurt other people.""Your beliefs, or how you choose to express certain things, is very public, and people do look and listen. Whether or not it’s something that you grew up with, or it was instilled upon you from a young age, and you might not know better, it is something that can hurt other people."When Albert faced the backlash during late March 2024, she was also criticized by former soccer player and activist Megan Rapinoe. Albert was accused of liking a meme on Instagram with the caption, "God taking time off performing miracles to make sure Megan Rapinoe sprains her ankle in her final ever game."Rapinoe accused Albert of hiding behind her religion and asked if she was "making any type of space safer, more inclusive" or "more whole."The young player would later "sincerely apologize" for her actions. Albert said that "liking and sharing posts that are offensive, insensitive and hurtful was immature and disrespectful."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Earth Defense Force 6 Steam launch has been a mixed success. Finally arriving on PC, the bold, bright, and bananas co-op game has been met, quite rightly, with high player numbers and some serious raw enthusiasm - to this day, there is nothing like the EDF series, and we’re glad the latest edition has finally gotten a port. There is, however, a problem. In order to play Earth Defense Force 6 multiplayer, you need to make and link an Epic Online Services account, even if you and all your compadres are using Steam. Just like Helldivers 2 and the PSN debacle, it’s resulted in a pretty hellish review bombing campaign. Now, however, everything might be about to change. Continue reading Earth Defense Force 6 review bombing sparks action on player accounts MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best co-op games, Best multiplayer games, Upcoming PC games

When is the Black Myth Wukong release date? Journey to the West is a classic 16th-century Chinese novel that has been adapted into many video games over the years. This soulslike is the latest one, and while the monkey, known only as the "Destined One", certainly resembles Sun Wukong from the book, this trickster warrior has some transformation abilities up his sleeve. While many other soulslike games are now available, Black Myth Wukong has been in active development for quite some time, but we only saw a significant update appear annually. This RPG game has a few hidden details in the gameplay footage, so we'll go over the story and characters, techniques that the Destined One can use, and more. Continue reading Black Myth Wukong release date, trailers, gameplay, and latest news MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Upcoming PC games, Best RPG games on PC, Best new PC games

I, like many people, have plowed hours and hours into Baldur's Gate 3, yet haven't even stepped foot in the titular citadel. Faerun is a living, breathing world, where the tiniest of decisions have Butterfly Effect-style ripples, completely changing storylines and locking off others we never even knew about. Blending that limitlessness with the vibrant, magical feel of Fable, new RPG Peasant is looking to reinvent the fantasy genre all over again - and it just earned over $100,000 on Kickstarter to help it do so. Continue reading New RPG Peasant smashes Kickstarter goal with $100k in just 21 hours MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RPGs, Best fantasy games, Upcoming PC games

The Elder Scrolls Morrowind and classic Diablo are both obvious inspirations behind Dread Delusion, but the RPG from Lovely Hellplace is much more than a mere homage. Visually, this is the most striking open-world adventure of 2024, and maybe longer. Frightening, colorful, imaginative, and fueled by a great narrative, despite incredibly good Steam reviews, Dread Delusion still deserves a lot more love. Imagine a ‘00s RPG played on a haunted computer, a glitched-out, stuttering world of bizarro magic and New Weird phantasms. Thanks to a huge new update, if you haven’t played it already, this is the perfect time to try Dread Delusion. Continue reading Now is the time to play Dread Delusion, 2024’s most underrated RPG MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best PC RPGs, Best fantasy games on PC, Best open-world games on PC

We’re in a real renaissance for fighting games right now, with Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Mortal Kombat 1 all absolutely thriving. The recent EVO finals were a thing to behold - but also a welcome reminder that the coolest fighting game out there is actually Guilty Gear Strive, and it’s not even that close. The good news if you haven’t dipped into the Arc System Works masterpiece, then, is that you can try the new Guilty Gear Strive mode for free right now, even if you don’t own the game, and it’s going cheap if you enjoy yourself. Continue reading You can try the new Guilty Gear Strive mode without owning the game

Here's Another VP Kamala Harris Flashback Dems and Media Will Attempt to Erase From History