Donald Trump
Donald Trump Trump eyes pardons for Jan. 6 criminals on ‘first day’ of second term
Before Donald Trump even began speaking at a campaign rally near Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday, a voice over the loudspeaker asked attendees to “please rise for the horribly and unfairly treated Jan. 6 hostages.” At that point, the former president stood and saluted as a recording of Jan. 6 inmates singing the national anthem played…
Donald Trump
Before Donald Trump even began speaking at a campaign rally near Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday, a voice over the loudspeaker asked attendees to “please rise for the horribly and unfairly treated Jan. 6 hostages.” At that point, the former president stood and saluted as a recording of Jan. 6 inmates singing the national anthem played at the rally.
This was, to be sure, an unmistakably creepy display — which the Republican proceeded to make worse, not only with his latest reference to Jan. 6 “hostages,” but also with new details about his post-election plans. NBC News reported:
“They’ve been treated terribly and very unfairly, and you know that, and everybody knows that,” Trump said at the beginning of his speech. “And we’re going to be working on that as soon as the first day we get into office. We’re going to save our country, and we’re going to work with the people to treat those unbelievable patriots.”
It was nearly two years ago when the Republican first broached the subject, telling a Tennessee audience that he would look “very, very seriously” at pardoning those who were arrested for Jan. 6 crimes. For emphasis, he added, “very, very seriously.”
Twenty-one months later, Trump said “freeing” those charged and convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack would be among the “first acts” he took in a possible second term.
Now, Americans can expect to see these pardons “as soon as” his first day in the White House. (It will apparently be a busy first day for Trump, who has also repeatedly said he wants to create a “dictatorship” on “Day One” of his return to the White House.)
What’s more, the presumptive GOP nominee might very well be the first presidential candidate in the history of American politics to be running on a platform that effectively says, “Vote for me and I’ll deliberately release violent criminals back onto the streets.”
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Click here for the demo videos.But as we’ve discussed, it’s also important to acknowledge the broader set of circumstances. In the weeks, months, and years that followed the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, federal prosecutors got to work charging rioters, not just because they committed crimes, and not just to hold them accountable, but also to prevent future attacks. The message was intended to be clear: The United States prosecuted these insurrectionists, so those thinking about following in their footsteps should expect to face legal consequences, too.
Trump intends to silence that message, undo what’s been done, and make clear that criminals who ignore the law in his name need not worry about accountability.
There is arguably no greater example of the Republican’s hostility toward the rule of law.
This post updates our related earlier coverage.
Steve Benen is a producer for “The Rachel Maddow Show,” the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He’s also the bestselling author of “The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics.”
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