Trump Pardons Jan. 6 Rioters, Fuels Political Violence!

Advocates for democracy sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s recent action to pardon approximately 1,500 individuals who participated in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and to reduce the sentences of others.

This expected decision was broadcast live from the Oval Office just hours after Trump resumed office on Monday afternoon. This occurred despite his conviction on 34 felony charges in New York the previous year and amidst numerous other legal battles, including those related to his efforts to reverse his 2020 electoral defeat to former Democratic President Joe Biden, efforts that ultimately led to the 2021 Capitol siege.

“Merely hours after vowing to restore ‘law and order to our cities,’ Trump has pardoned over a thousand rioters from January 6th and reintroduced violent criminals into our communities—individuals who attacked law enforcement, damaged property, and undermined our right to vote,” expressed Sean Eldridge, president and founder of the progressive group Stand Up America.

“Trump’s pardons effectively endorse political violence and jeopardize public safety,” he added. “In the United States, no one is supposed to be above the law. Both our first responders and American citizens deserve better than this.”

Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of the progressive organizing group Our Revolution, commented, “Trump’s pardons of January 6 rioters, including those guilty of violent acts against law enforcement, represent a severe and unprecedented assault on the rule of law and American democracy. This action not only dismisses the consequences for one of the darkest events in our history but also empowers right-wing extremists by effectively giving them impunity to perpetuate their terror.”

“These individuals are not patriots; they are traitors who will now potentially recruit more members into what Trump regards as his personal armed force,” he claimed. “By granting these pardons, Trump is signaling that political violence and the rejection of democratic principles are valid strategies for his authoritarian goals. This poses a direct threat to the foundation of our democracy and the safety of our neighborhoods.”

Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the watchdog organization Public Citizen, remarked that Trump starting his second term by attacking democracy mirrors how he concluded his first term.

“This goes beyond merely undermining the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law theoretically; his reprehensible actions convey that political violence is acceptable as long as it supports him and his quest for absolute power,” she continued. “We are committed to combating these abuses over the next four years to uphold the integrity of the rule of law.”

Virginia Kase Solomón, president and CEO of Common Cause, also accused the Republican of “condoning insurrection,” warning that “this will not be the last time President Trump attacks democracy,” and declared that her organization is “ready to defend it.”

Kase Solomón noted during the riot, “people died and over 140 law enforcement officers were wounded while protecting Congress members from the ensuing violence. These sacrifices should not be disregarded. To pardon those involved is a blatant, perilous misuse of power.”

She highlighted, “Trump faced multiple charges for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, which led to the Capitol insurrection. Only his reelection, combined with a profoundly erroneous Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, spared him from prosecution. By pardoning those who sought to violently disrupt the election and disregard 80 million votes, Trump is demonstrating his disdain for our judicial system and democratic processes.”

Noah Bookbinder, a former federal prosecutor and current president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, emphasized that “pardoning those involved, all of whom were convicted or pleaded guilty after due process, signals that the public’s right to elect our leaders is irrelevant since the outcomes can simply be overturned by force.”

“And,” he continued, “it raises a horrifying question: What if Trump refuses to leave the White House when his term ends?”

Trump commuted the sentences of several high-profile defendants and offered “a full, complete, and unconditional pardon” to others he referred to as “hostages.”

He also instructed the attorney general to seek the dismissal of all pending indictices related to the January 6 events and directed the Bureau of Prisons to follow through with all related instructions from the Department of Justice.

In contrast, right before his departure from office, Biden pardoned several members of the U.S. House select committee that investigated the insurrection, stating his actions were to protect them and should not be seen as an admission of guilt or wrongdoing on their part.

This post has been updated with comments from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.