Jake Lang: Who Is the Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Whose Gracie Mansion Protest Triggered an ISIS Bomb Plot

He came to New York with a cooked pig, a live goat, and twenty followers. What Jake Lang left behind was a federal terrorism investigation, two ISIS-inspired suspects in custody, and a city still processing how a protest of barely two dozen people nearly ended in a mass casualty attack.

From Capitol Rioter to Professional Provocateur

After the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Lang was charged with assaulting an officer with a baseball bat, civil disorder and other crimes. He was later freed from prison as part of President Donald Trump's sweeping act of clemency.

In the years following his arrest, Lang helped create video "documentaries" he posted to his "J6Truth" website despite being locked up pretrial. He was moved around to several jails, including in 2024 to MDC Brooklyn. The pardon didn't quiet him — it accelerated him.

Lang recently announced he is running for U.S. Senate in Florida. His political calendar in 2026 has been a sprint of confrontations: in January, he staged a pro-ICE counterdemonstration in Minneapolis but was outnumbered by protesters who pelted him with water balloons in frigid weather. On Friday, he showed up briefly to counter a pro-Iran protest in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, where he simulated a lewd act with a live goat.

The Day at Gracie Mansion

Earlier this month, Lang was charged in D.C. Superior Court after allegedly telling a Metropolitan Police commander who had protected the Capitol that he should be "put down like a dead dog" and that "public execution is the only solution for animals like you." Prosecutors said those and other statements at a Jan. 6 anniversary event constituted threats against the officer.

None of that slowed Saturday's demonstration. Lang organized a "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City" protest with about 20 people. The counterprotest — "Run the Nazis Out of New York City" — had about 125 participants. Hostilities quickly eclipsed debate: a woman was pepper-sprayed, a man was punched and kicked. Then the bombs came out.

Lang and his small group quickly fled after Emir Balat, 18, threw what police described as an improvised explosive device. He did not leave quietly. Standing outside the Gracie Mansion gates moments after it failed to detonate, Lang said: "Jesus is king, and he made it that that nail bomb didn't go off. Thank you, Lord God. They threw a nail bomb at us and it didn't explode because Jesus is still on the throne in my life."

Still Heckling — After the Press Conference

While Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Tisch briefed reporters Monday, Lang heckled from outside the Gracie Mansion gates. The image — a pardoned federal defendant shouting at the mayor's press conference about a terrorism plot his event helped trigger — drew immediate condemnation from city officials and civil rights groups.

Mamdani did not soften his language. In a statement, he specifically mentioned Lang and said the protest outside Gracie Mansion was "rooted in bigotry and racism" and has no place in New York City.

Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, said: "Having a white nationalist coming to rabblerouse and flare anti-Muslim sentiment in New York during the holiest month of the year for Muslims is more than outlandish."

The Legal Picture Around Lang Himself

Lang was not charged in connection with Saturday's bombing attempt — he was the intended target, not a participant. But his broader legal exposure is expanding on separate fronts.

Lang also appeared in court in Minnesota this week, charged with felony damage to property after posting a video of himself kicking down letters of an anti-ICE sculpture. The D.C. threat charges remain active. His Senate campaign in Florida continues regardless.

Balat and Kayumi were arraigned Monday and held without bail on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. Their lawyers did not argue for bail but could do so later. Both men said nothing during the brief proceeding. Kayumi smirked and looked over at Balat as the judge read the part of the complaint stating they were acting in support of the Islamic State.

Lang posted to social media within hours of the arraignment, framing himself as a martyr. Federal prosecutors have not indicated he faces any charges related to Saturday's events.