Stewart Rhodes, with his signature black eyepatch, waved to a crowd as he strolled out of a federal prison a free man after serving less than two years of his 18-year sentence.

The leader of the Oath Keepers, a self-styled militia that helped orchestrate the Jan 6 attacks on the US Capitol in 2021, had been pardoned by Donald Trump along with roughly 1,500 other rioters.

Less than 24 hours later, the 59-year-old visited Capitol Hill to shake hands with Republican lawmakers and air his grievances, calling himself an “innocent” victim of a wrongful prosecution – and vowing to go after those who came after him.

Mr Rhodes may soon get his wish.

On the day of his inauguration, Mr Trump signed an executive order titled Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government.