Trump defends his decision to pardon January 6 rioters
President Trump defended his decision to grant blanket pardons to the more than 1,500 people who faced prosecution for the attack on the U.S. Capitol four years ago, saying that many were serving sentences that he found “ridiculous and excessive.”
Speaking to reporters from the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he issued the pardons because in many cases, “these people have already served a long period of time, and I made a decision to give a pardon.”
Trump issued the pardons during a whirlwind first day back in office on Monday in an order that granted, “a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.”
His order included a pardon for Enrique Tarrio, the former chairman of the Proud Boys, as well as a commutation for former Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, who like Tarrio was convicted for the rarely used charge of seditious conspiracy.
Trump sought to sidestep criticism about the pardons, saying that his supporters were prosecuted and sent to prison even though “you have murderers who aren’t charged all over.”
“Murderers get no time. You take a look at some of these [district attorneys]. They go after political opponents, but they don’t go after people that shoot people in the street,” Trump said.
At the same time, he sought to redirect criticism to former President Joe Biden for his decision in the final moments of his term to grant preemptive pardons to members of Congress and staff who served on the Jan. 6 committee, as well as to several members of his family.
“Joe Biden gave a pardon yesterday to a lot of criminals. These are criminals that he gave a pardon to, and you should be asking that question,” Trump said.
Prior to leaving office, Biden said the pardons were necessary because of the threat of “unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions” by the incoming Trump administration.
Trump’s pardons outraged Democrats in Congress — as well as Capitol Police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6. But it also garnered rare criticism from several Republicans in the Senate.
“Many of them, probably it was the right thing to do, they made a bad choice,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. “But anybody who was convicted of assault on a police officer, I just can’t get there at all. I think it was a bad idea.”
Maine’s Susan Collins drew a similar distinction between pardons for those who committed violence on Jan. 6 and those who did not.
“I do not support pardons given to people who engaged in violence on Jan. 6, including assaulting police officers, or breaking windows to get into the Capitol, for example.”
Meanwhile, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski said she was “disappointed” by the decision, adding, “I do fear the message that is sent to these brave men and women that stood by us.”
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