Jon Schaffer gave his first interview since being sentenced to three years of probation for his involvement in the U.S. Capitol break-in in January 2021. Jon Schaffer became one of 1,500 people charged in the break-in who were pardoned by President Donald Trump .
Iced Earth 's founding guitarist appeared on It Is Later Than You Think , a church in Trafalgar, Indiana. In a nearly two-and-a-half-hour episode, Schaffer discussed many topics regarding his involvement in the break-in [transcription via Blabbermouth ]: “Now I realize that my behavior wasn't the best behavior and it wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done, but it was a trap. I mean, there's no doubt about it. The truth will come out about it. The bad thing is that I know better. But I let my emotions completely control me, and I think there was a force at work there that I can't put into words.”
In the guitarist's opinion, the participants and those convicted, as well as President Trump, were unjustly persecuted because they were merely protesting an election they claimed was fraudulent: “It’s not a violent movement. You can see that. It’s a very family-oriented movement. I would say most people are just freedom lovers, probably a lot of Christians and a lot of good-hearted Americans… And then destroying property, that’s not what we do.”.
Jon Schaffer converted to Christianity
The guitarist also spoke about his spiritual journey: “I think I’ve been on it for a while. I started reading the Bible, but I wasn’t really there […]. That’s when my faith journey began […]. And then [my friend] invited me to his church, which was an hour and a half away. I just fell in love with the place.”.
“And sometimes I would go there just for the service — I would leave very early in the morning, arrive there and drive back — but it’s a long time in the car. And I had asked — his name is Pastor Tim Miller — I asked him to baptize me. It’s simply incredible how God works.”
When asked about his future plans in music, Jon Schaffer said: “I have some releases that we’re going to work on. In terms of new material, I’m going to take a little time […]. And then, whatever I do from here on out, I just want to do something that’s great. I don’t want anything to feel forced. And I want it to glorify God.”.
