Trump Pardons for Jan. 6 Insurrectionists Would Be 'Affront to Our Democracy'

Two weeks away from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's return to office, democracy defenders, including a former Capitol Police sergeant, are sounding the alarm over the Republican's promised pardons for people convicted over the January 6, 2021 insurrection.

Trump faced two criminal cases for his fight to overturn his 2020 loss, which culminated in inciting some supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the results four years ago. In an NBC News interview last month, Trump said he was inclined to issue pardons, and "while there may be some exceptions," he will likely act on the "first day" he is back in the White House—"maybe the first nine minutes," as he toldTime. His comments have led defense attorneys to seek delays until he takes office.

"Political violence is a hallmark of authoritarianism and a direct threat to a functioning democracy," said Robert Weissman, co-president of watchdog group Public Citizen, in a Monday statement. "The January 6 perpetrators—including Donald Trump—should be shunned, not celebrated; punished, not pardoned."

The group's other co-president, Lisa Gilbert, said that "Trump has once again showed us his disregard for the rule of law as he signals his eagerness to pardon the criminals responsible for the deadly insurrection."

"The incoming administration believes that their word trumps historical facts," Gilbert asserted. "A potential flurry of pardons of January 6 attackers would be an affront to our democracy and a blatant rewrite of history. Attempting to overturn an election through violence should neither be celebrated nor pardoned. We condemn former and future President Trump's commitment to a corrupted justice system."

According toCBS News:

Prosecutors have charged more than 1,580 defendants with crimes tied to the January 6, 2021, riot, including more than 170 who are accused of using deadly or dangerous weapons like fire extinguishers and bear spray against officers. While a majority were charged with nonviolent misdemeanor crimes, some were accused of conspiring to use force to resist the peaceful transfer of power. Others admitted to fighting officers and attacking members of the media.

More than 1,000 defendants have since pleaded guilty, and about 220 more were convicted at trial. Federal investigations said they are also seeking the public's assistance in locating at least five known fugitives.

According to the Justice Department, 1,100 defendants have already had their cases fully adjudicated, and hundreds have already completed prison terms.

"Trump did not pay for inciting January 6, escaping conviction in his Senate impeachment trial," freelance journalist Martin Pengelly highlighted in a Monday analysis for The Guardian. Since then, he has "called January 6 prisoners 'patriots' and even characterized the day they smashed their way into Congress—some looking for lawmakers to capture or kill in a riot linked to nine deaths—as 'a day of love.' At rallies, and at his Florida home as his return to power draws near, Trump has played a recording of January 6 prisoners singing the national anthem."

There are at least nine deaths tied to the insurrection: four Trump supporters—including Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer as the MAGA mob tried to enter the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives—and five officers. Officer Brian Sicknick, who suffered strokes after being assaulted by rioters, died the next day, and four others have died by suicide.

"For my efforts doing my duty as a Capitol Police sergeant, I was beaten and struck by raging rioters all over my body with multiple weapons until I was covered in my own blood," Aquilino Gonell recalled in a Sunday opinion piece for The New York Times. "My hand, foot, and shoulder were wounded. I thought I was going to die and never make it home to see my wife and young son."

"I required multiple surgeries, years of rehab, and treatment for recurrences of the post-traumatic stress disorder I was diagnosed with in the Army," explained Gonell, who has testified in court and given victim statements. "Although I left the Capitol Police force, I remain haunted by that day. Now Mr. Trump's promised actions could erase the justice we've risked everything for."

U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), noted Monday that "today, Members of Congress return to the U.S. Capitol to do one of our most important constitutional duties—certify the results of the presidential election and ensure a peaceful transfer of power."

Despite Trump's performance during his first term, 2020 loss, the devastating tantrum that followed, and related and unrelated legal trouble—including arguments that he is constitutionally disqualified from holding office again after engaging in insurrection—the 78-year-old Republican won both the Electoral College and the popular vote this past November.

"What we do today will be in stark contrast to what happened four years ago, when insurrectionists—fueled by sitting President Donald Trump—attacked the U.S. Capitol in the most violent attack since the War of 1812," Jayapal said, acknowledging the members of law enforcement whose deaths and injuries resulted from the 2021 attack. "Today, we remember their courage and bravery even as Republicans have refused to put up a congressionally mandated plaque to honor those officers."

"As we certify the elections today, let us never forget how close we came four years ago to losing our democracy completely. As someone who was trapped in the gallery that day, I remember vividly how close we came to not making it out alive. I will never forget the pounding on the doors, the shouting and screaming of both those trying to overrun our democracy and those putting their lives on the line to defend it," she continued. "I also will never forget the handful of brave Republicans who, in the weeks following, stood up to put country over party during Trump's impeachment trial."

"If Donald Trump moves forward with pardoning the January 6 rioters, as he has pledged to do, he will once again be doing violence to our country and our democracy and encouraging it again in the future," Jayapal warned as she kicked off her fifth term, vowing to "work to protect and strengthen our democracy every single day."

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland—an appointee of outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden often criticized for not targeting Trump more aggressively for his actions on that day—said in a Monday statement to The Associated Press that prosecutors at the Department of Justice "have sought to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on our democracy with unrelenting integrity."

"They have conducted themselves in a manner that adheres to the rule of law and honors our obligation to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of everyone in this country," added Garland—whom Trump is set to replace with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, after ethics issues led to the withdrawal of his first choice, former Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).

Trump has named loyalist Kash Patel as his pick to direct the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an agency of the Justice Department. Both his and Bondi's nominations require confirmation from the Republican-controlled Senate. CBS pointed out that "if confirmed, Bondi and Patel—who has said he opposes the January 6 prosecutions—would have the power to shut down the Capitol breach investigations altogether and weigh in on the administration's clemency strategy."

Newly elected CPC Chair Greg Casar (D-TX-35) said Monday that "four years ago, Americans watched right-wing extremists storm the Capitol live on television. But behind the scenes, Republican officials continue to undermine our citizens' rights every single day."

"Trump's election will be certified, and his administration will be filled with more certified liars, grifters, and corrupt billionaires than any other in American history," Casar added. "But when Trump's Republicans try to cut Social Security and Medicare to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, you can count on progressives to fight back for everyday Americans."