ANALYSIS – One of the many things Donald Trump said at his CNN town hall that was bashed by the Democrats and the media was that he would “most likely” pardon many or a “large portion” of those convicted for rioting at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“And it'll be very early on,” Trump said, referring to making the pardons soon after he is potentially reelected in 2024.
The question is – should he?
Trump did qualify his pardon promise by hopefully making an exception for those violent rioters who acted egregiously.
“I can't say for every single one because a couple of them probably they got out of control.”
Well, I was at the Capitol that day as a security advisor, and it was more than a “couple of them.” It was a prominent subgroup of those who participated in the Capitol riot.
So, I wish he wouldn't be so dismissive of them.
A few were very violent and attacked our police officers without remorse. Those few who did should be punished. I have zero sympathy for them.
And let's correct the record yet again by noting that – while it could have been worse – only one person was killed by violence that day – and it was unarmed Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt.
Another few died of natural causes outside or later. All are tragedies, but it was not a murderous rampage or a deadly insurrection. It was a political riot.
And the violent ones were a small minority relative to the massive number of protesters outside and also of the hundreds who entered the Capitol.
According to NBC News, more “than 600 people involved in the Jan. 6 attack have been convicted, with more than 480 sentenced. Hundreds of additional Jan. 6 rioters have been identified but not yet charged.”
NBC doesn't note that the vast majority of those convicted so far were not violent. Many made a plea deal under federal pressure or were convicted in a biased D.C. court of minor offenses such as trespassing or obstructing an official proceeding, something that would have resulted in a slap on the wrist anywhere else.
And that's the issue.
Most of those persecuted and prosecuted over the Capitol riot were simply drawn in by the initial wave. And most, if not all, were angry because they “thought the election was rigged,” as Trump said on CNN. They had what they felt was a righteous grievance.
Many of them took selfies, acted stupidly or simply entered and left. But stupidity isn't a crime. They shouldn't be in jail for long sentences – and especially not under the conditions they are facing.
Black Lives Matter (BLM) or Antifa rioters who attacked police and the U.S. federal courthouse in Portland for months in 2020, or violently rioted and burned cities across the country, did not get these sentences or horrible treatment in and out of jail or the harsh media coverage.
They should be treated the same.
Back in 2022 when Trump floated the same pardon idea, some Republican Senators called him out on it.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of Trump's closest allies, told The Hill that granting pardons to Jan. 6 protesters is “a bad idea.”
Some Republicans rightfully criticized Trump for dangling pardons as a vote-getting gimmick, noting that this was akin to bribery. And there might be something to that.
Meanwhile, the always amusing Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who voted in 2021 to impeach Trump on the charge of ‘inciting an insurrection' on Jan. 6, said back in 2022:
The Jan. 6 riot was an attack on the temple of democracy, and the people who violated the law, attacked our law enforcement and besmirched our nation's Capitol should be prosecuted according to the law, and certainly should not be pardoned. It's a grossly inappropriate comment to make.
But as The Hill reports, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., appears amenable to the idea of granting pardons to some of the pro-Trump protesters. “Let's see which ones he would choose to do. There's no question it has been a massive prosecutorial effort.”
And comparing this effort to the Justice Department's handling of BLM rioters he said: “There absolutely is undeniably a double standard.”
And I agree. The Hill adds:
He and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who both led objections to the Electoral College tally in January 2021, argue the Department of Justice (DOJ) is punishing Trump supporters who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6 much more aggressively than the rioters who destroyed property at Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020.
Cruz argues that “The Biden Justice Department has used Jan. 6 and the violent acts of a few to justify persecuting the peaceful protest and political speech of the many. It is wildly inconsistent.”
As The Hill notes, “Cruz said there's a big difference between protesters who attacked Capitol police officers and smashed the Capitol's windows and doorways and Trump supporters who showed up at the Capitol to voice their opposition to certifying Biden as president.”
And I agree here, too.
So, the answer to whether Trump should pardon Capitol rioters is – yes – he should pardon all those who weren't violent – but leave those few who were behind bars.
It's a clear and simple distinction.
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YES if did no damage vs those that did & also video said damage
Look, this whole topic is “alligator bait”. If anyone would give an honest investigation into exactly what happened on J6, and release the findings, it would be clear that the whole thing was a set up by the very people that bitch about it the most. Now, by whom, no one can say, because no one is willing to do, exactly what I just said. And, if someone did, it would never be heard by any court. The legal system is just sewed up by the system. Whether any one says, one way or another, you get pounced on. So, I believe that Trump took the correct approach at this time. And, just as the “bait” suggests, he will be pounced on. This is all the stupid show has to offer us. I can barely bare to watch it anymore.
Yes, they should be pardoned except for the very violent ones which I think will be very few. The January 6th sham of a committee was just that a “sham”. Purely another political move. These people should be released. Hunter, Joe & their whole crime family should be in jail. He is destroying this country.
Yes..like all American citizens he is entitled to his opinion…I happen to agree with him.
If the DOJ wasnt prosecuting the non-violent offenders the nuber of prosecutions would be so few as to make the event seem insignoificant, So the Dems are orisecutinng huindreds and hu ndreds of non-violent protestors in order to pretend january 6th was a lawless protest.
Why not? At the very least, let them have a fair trial.
Do you also go by the name of Stainless?
Amazing, coolaid anyone! The MAGA group were surrounded by paid agitators some CIA or FBI and disguised capitol police. They were the ones doing the violence the Trump supporters were just following the capitol police invitation to enter and the goofy guy with the horns was lead around like a celerity. The whole thing was staged so the public would not protest rigged elections ever again because when crimes are committed the left can not have anyone blowing the whistle on them.
Tell me this, businesses being burned and police stations being ransacked and burned was peaceful protesting??? The current administration is corrupt to the core! Our country is toast.
The worst of the January 6th “rioters” couldn’t hold a candle to the carnage done by the snot-nosed Antifa pukes in other cities around the country over the past few years.
Release the J-6 detainees and incarcerate the entire bunch J-6 accusers, including the politicians, the sham judges, and the charlatan lawyers! 4 years minimum in Guantanamo before being allowed any legal representation would be a just and fitting start.
Most but not all. If someone got violent or can be proven to have broken a window or something, then they should not get fully pardoned, but maybe commuted with time served. But what about the FBI agents and others who goaded them into doing so? They need to be investigated.
Meant to say Antifa.
I think so
Trump won’t be pardoning anyone as he will not be president again. The Democrats will win 2024 as too many voters are done with Trump.
I would phrase the title somewhat differently” “Trump Should Pardon Large Portion of Capitol ‘Rioters.'” The great majority were set up by a vile entrapment… on purpose.
Why should Trump not pardon all the Jan6 victims?? Valid question when considering this was a kangaroo court which denied all constitutional rights of the prisoners. The supreme court would throw these cases out after spending the unreachable sums of money required to get to the position of presenting their cases. All participants on the “court” starting with Liz Cheney need to be jailed.