Within hours of being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump issued pardons — and commutations of sentences — for virtually all of the nearly 1,600 people arrested, tried or convicted for their role in the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
“This proclamation ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation,” Trump wrote.
What that means is that not only are the 1,000 or so people charged or convicted of misdemeanors for their actions that day off the hook but so too are the 600 people who committed more violent crimes — including assaults against police officers.
In case you’ve forgotten, 140 police officers were injured that day by the protesters. This terrific X thread by NPR investigative reporter Tom Dreisbach details the nature of many of these attacks including:
“Repeatedly assaulting police officers with pepper spray, a metal crutch and wooden and metal pole”
“Using a stun gun and ‘plunging it’ multiple times into police officer Michael Fanone's neck”
“Wielding a large MK-46 canister and carrying a wooden tire thumper, Schwartz began indiscriminately spraying O.C. spray at any retreating police officers he could find.”
“Tackling a police officer to the ground and attempting to remove his mask and helmet.”
There’s more. Lots and lots more. (Trump even commuted the sentence of Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was serving more than two decades in prison after being convicted of seditious conspiracy for playing a central role in organizing the January 6 riot.)
It seems, well, incongruous for a president who talks about how much he loves the police and loves law and order to do something like this, right?
So, why did Trump do it? Because he has spent the last 3+ years trying to rewrite the history of what happened that day. Rather than a violent attack aimed at preventing the counting of electoral college votes, Trump has suggested these “hostages” are the victim of political persecution — punished for expressing their dismay at a stolen election.
Pardoning them — and calling their sentencing a “grave national injustice” — is of a piece with the story Trump has been telling himself and his supporters about what “really” happened that day.
But here’s the thing. We have video. Lots of it.
Unless you believe ALL of this video and ALL of the photos of police officers being assaulted by rioters is somehow made up (and I am not sure how it could be?), then what Trump did on Monday is not just inexcusable but also dangerous.
Because it sends a message that the rule of law can be ignored if you are a supporter of Donald Trump. Which is, um, not how the rule of law is supposed to work. There’s a reason Lady Justice is blindfolded, people.
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