Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
The Cardinals super fan known as “Rally Runner” is facing a felony charge after being on the front lines of the Jan. 6 attacks.
Daniel Donnelly Jr. is a dedicated St. Louis Cardinals fan known for painting his face red and jogging around Busch Stadium when his home team is in need of a comeback. He’s better known as “Rally Runner” to Cardinals fans, and even made it his legal name according to DMV records. The 43-year-old isn’t just a baseball super fan: he’s a dedicated supporter of former President Donald Trump, showing up at the Capitol on Jan. 6 to play a lead role in the infamous insurrection following the results of the 2020 election.
On Wednesday, Donnelly Jr. was charged with a felony count of civil disorder, and misdemeanor counts including disorderly conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, impeding passage through the Capitol grounds, and theft of government property for his role on Jan. 6, according to the Department of Justice.
Donnelly Jr. was on the front lines of the Capitol on Jan. 6 while recreating his look at Cardinals games, dressed in all red with red face paint. This time, he was wearing a “Keep America Great” hat according to the New York Times. Videos show “Rally Runner” holding a riot shield and pushing up against police as rioters launched chemical irritants and threw items at law enforcement officers, according to the Department of Justice.
Shortly after Jan. 6, Donnelly posted a long video on Facebook in which he bragged about being at the insurrection. “I got further than anyone,” he said, according to court documents via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I literally got further than anyone. I helped us get that far.”
“Donnelly continued to hold his position just inches away from the confrontation,” according to the Justice Department. “Rioters continued to push forward as a group, with Donnelly in the lead.”
Rally Runner gained notoriety before the charges when former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson suggested he was a plant to make Trump supporters look bad.
The Cardinals are known for having the “best fans in baseball” — a moniker that other fanbases often poke fun at. This is just going to give Cardinals haters even more content.
