Vice President-elect JD Vance says people responsible for the violence during the Capitol riot “obviously” should not be pardoned, as President-elect Donald Trump is promising to use his clemency power on behalf of many of those who tried on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn the results of the election that Trump lost.
Vance insisted in an interview on “Fox News Sunday” that the pardon question is “very simple,” saying those who “protested peacefully” should be pardoned and “if you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned.” He later said there was a “bit of a gray area” in some cases.
More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the siege that left more than 100 police officers injured and sent lawmakers running into hiding as they met to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 victory.
Hundreds of people who did not engage in destruction or violence were charged only with misdemeanor offenses for illegally entering the Capitol. Others were charged with felony offenses, including assault for beating police officers. Leaders of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys extremist groups were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as plots to use violence to stop the peaceful transfer of power from Trump, the Republican incumbent, to Biden.
In a post on X, Vance responded to criticism from supporters of the Capitol rioters that his position did not go far enough to free all convicted. “I’ve been defending these guys for years,” he said.
“The president saying he’ll look at each case (and me saying the same) is not some walkback,” Vance said. “I assure you, we care about people unjustly locked up. Yes, that includes people provoked and it includes people who got a garbage trial.”
(AP)
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3 Responses
So If you shoved Pelosi etc. you should get 3 year prison term? Fact Is the punishments even for those that were “violent” do not match the crime! There was no real trial, they were all people guilty before any trial happened! Every single case should be thrown out. How about prosecuting all the “peaceful” BLM rioters?
They should apply the same standard to all (e.g. treat Jan. 6 rioters the same as BLM). Given the importance of the first amendment, “riot” and “disturbing the peace” should not be prosecuted at a political demonstration. If someone breaks or destroys property they should pay (i.e. the guy who stole Pelosi’s laptop should need to pay for a new laptop and the cost on reinstalling her files). Only those who injure or kill someone, especially a policeman, should be the only ones prosecuted.
They were never tried as by law. Just convicted like this is the USSR. There have been worse crimes done by this Administration and BHO (Obummer) than what Jan. 6th did.