Wikipedia

Jake Lang

Jake Lang
Born
Edward Jacob Lang

Narrowsburg, New York, U.S.
EducationDelaware Valley High School
Hunter College (dropped out)
Occupations
  • Activist
  • politician
Known forParticipation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack
Political partyRepublican
Criminal statusReleased (pardoned)

Edward Jacob Lang[1] (born 1995–96) is an American far-right activist and politician. He was a participant in the 2021 January 6 United States Capitol attack, for which he served four years in prison. Lang's charges were dismissed by President Donald Trump in his pardon of attack defendants on the first day of his second presidency in 2025.

Lang is a Republican candidate in the 2026 U.S. Senate special election in Florida. He is due at a hearing in Washington D.C. on March 24, 2026, for threatening comments to a Capitol Police officer at a January 6 fifth-anniversary event and at trial in Minneapolis on July 27, 2026, on suspicion of a felony for defacing a $6,000 anti-ICE ice sculpture in front of the Minnesota State Capitol.

Early life

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Edward Jacob Lang was born in Narrowsburg, New York in Sullivan County, New York. He graduated from Delaware Valley High School in Milford, Pennsylvania in 2013 and attended Hunter College in Manhattan for one year before dropping out and starting a series of businesses. These included an online modeling agency, a social media platform called Liberty Centric, and a religious-themed clothing line.[2]

Activities

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January 2021

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Main article: January 6 United States Capitol attack

Lang was arrested on January 16, 2021. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Lang was in prison for four years on an 11-count indictment, including assault charges for attacking officers with a baseball bat.[2][3][4]

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In March 2026, Lang was charged with a misdemeanor for threatening Metropolitan Police officer Jason Bagshaw at an event commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Capitol attack, telling Bagshaw that he should be "put down like a dead dog" and hanged in front of the Capitol, as well as dragged "out by his ankles" and thrown "in the Potomac." Lang has plead not guilty, and his hearing is set for March 24, 2026. In addition, he has been given a stay-away order.[5]

Candidacy for U.S. senator from Florida

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Lang announced his run for U.S. Senate from Florida, where he enjoys support,[1] in the Republican primary to be held in August 2026. On October 22, 2025, he said that, as senator: "I would deputize the Proud Boys and the January 6 Patriots to bounty hunt illegal immigrants."[6] Lang also stated his "very first act as a US Senator" would be "to ban Islam!!"[7]

Minneapolis

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On January 17, 2026, a week after Renée Good was killed by ICE Agent Jonathan Ross,[8] Lang attempted to lead a "March Against Minnesota Fraud" in which he vowed to burn a Quran and march to Cedar-Riverside, a neighborhood with a large Somali-American population.[9] He and his small group of supporters were surrounded by hundreds of counter-demonstrators. Lang was shielded by a local Black man[9] and was able to escape. Bloodied, Lang was helped by two Black women by car at a red light. When they asked who he was, he refused to tell them or explain what was going on, only that Trump had saved his life. After a few blocks, they told Lang to get out. He gave them his number promising to pay for the damage to their car by counter-demonstrators but he never followed up.[9] Lang abandoned his plans for the march and alleged he was stabbed and attacked by counter-protesters but never filed a police report.[10]

Lang was later arrested after recording himself vandalizing a $6,000 anti-ICE sculpture at the Minnesota State Capitol.[11] He was arrested and jailed on suspicion of criminal damage to property, a felony.[12] He later plead guilty.[11] The ice sculpture had been commissioned and installed by the veterans organization Common Defense, whose communications director, Jacob Thomas, stated: "I gave eight years of my life in service to this country in the military. For an insurrectionist to destroy our display is an attack on the First Amendment veterans like me fought to defend."[13] The trial is being presided over by Ramsey County District Judge Venna Iyer, whom Lang made sexist and racist comments about: "It was completely jarring to have a Black, Indian woman be my judge. I felt literally held captive in another country. I felt like I was walking into a courtroom in Mogadishu." Lang's trial is set for July 27; he could face up a maximum sentence of five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.[11]

March 2026

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Main article: 2026 New York City bombing attempt

Lang organized an anti-Islam demonstration outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's official residence at Gracie Mansion on March 8, 2026. His "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer" drew 20 people; as in Minneapolis, there were many more counter-protestors. Two from Pennsylvania threw "two suspicious devices"[14] towards participants.[15]

See also

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Further reading

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  • Gilbert, David (June 12, 2024). "A January 6 Rioter Is Leading an Armed National Militia From Prison". Wired. Retrieved March 10, 2026.

References

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  1. ^ a b Meko, Hurubie (March 9, 2026). "Gracie Mansion Attack Came Amid Chaos of Influencer's Anti-Muslim Rally". The New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  2. ^ a b McKenna, Chris (February 9, 2021). "Prosecutors allege Sullivan County native fought police at Capitol for more than two hours". Times Herald-Record. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  3. ^ McKenna, Chris (April 29, 2021). "Prosecutors log over 1,000 pieces of evidence against Capitol riot suspect from Newburgh". Times Herald-Record. Archived from the original on January 26, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  4. ^ Perry, Mitch (March 15, 2025). "He fought officers in front of the Capitol. Now he wants to work there as U.S. senator • Florida Phoenix". Florida Phoenix. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  5. ^ Reilly, Ryan J. (March 2, 2026). "Pardoned Capitol rioter who said Jan. 6 officer 'needs to be put down' is charged". NBC News. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  6. ^ Neammanee, Pocharapon (October 22, 2025). "Trump-Loving Candidate In Red State Promises To Deputize Proud Boys And Insurrectionists To Go After Immigrants". HuffPost. Retrieved October 25, 2025.
  7. ^ Smithberg, Katie (January 15, 2026). "The Truth About Conservative Influencer Jake Lang". A Better Minnesota. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
  8. ^ Krauss, Louis (January 15, 2026). "Minneapolis prepares for Saturday march led by right-wing influencer". The Minnesota Star Tribune. Archived from the original on January 16, 2026.
  9. ^ a b c Walsh, Paul; Hyatt, Kim (January 19, 2026). "The Black man and women who rescued anti-Islam activist Jake Lang from protesters in Minneapolis". The Minnesota Star Tribune. Archived from the original on January 20, 2026. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  10. ^ Lavietes, Matt; Guevara, Selina; Brewster, Shaquille (January 17, 2026). "Jan. 6 provocateur says he was stabbed at pro-ICE Minneapolis rally". NBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
  11. ^ a b c Marble, Casey (March 6, 2026). "Pardoned January 6 rioter pleads not guilty to damaging $6,000 ice sculpture at Minnesota Capitol last month". Minnesota Daily. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
  12. ^ "Far-right influencer Jake Lang charged with damaging ice sculpture at Minnesota Capitol". MPR.
  13. ^ Braun, Sara (February 6, 2026). "Far-right influencer and US Senate candidate arrested for damaging anti-ICE sculpture". The Guardian. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  14. ^ Lavietes, Matt; Bouarrouj, Meriam; Lenthang, Marlene (March 8, 2026). "Two in custody after 'suspicious devices' lit outside Gracie Mansion amid anti-Islam protest". NBC News. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  15. ^ Helmore, Edward; Associated Press (March 8, 2026). "Explosive device thrown outside of Zohran Mamdani's residence at anti-Islam protest". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 11, 2026.