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President Donald Trump‘s pardons for January 6 rioters have been criticized as a “dangerous step toward whitewashing history” by a newspaper in his home state of Florida.
The editorial board of The Miami Herald wrote in a column earlier this week that the pardons are an “an effort to downplay the events of Jan. 6, but the implications extend far beyond rewriting the day’s events.”
It added: “By undoing the convictions, Trump is undermining the rule of law. That, in turn, weakens our already vulnerable institutions and, ultimately, undermines democracy.”
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Why It Matters
Trump pardoned or commuted the prison sentences of more than 1,500 people convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol during his first day back in the White House. He also ordered his attorney general to dismiss the cases that were still pending.
His action freed people who were convicted of violent attacks on police officers, as well as the leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of orchestrating plots to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.
More than 100 police officers were injured in the riot, and several people died during and in the days following the attack.
While Trump had been expected to issue pardons, the scope of the clemency has prompted criticism from police and lawmakers, including some Republicans.
What To Know
The editorial in The Miami Herald said that Trump’s pardons “will not only release a swath of domestic terrorists into our society, the actions also represent an attempt to whitewash U.S. history—even though we witnessed the mob storm the Capitol and construct a noose meant for Vice President Mike Pence while our elected officials barricaded themselves in the chamber pleading for help from law enforcement.”
It added that Trump’s action “sends a dangerous message that individuals won’t be held accountable for actions that threaten democracy,” and “shows the world that our democratic institutions are vulnerable.”
It warned of copycats who may feel emboldened to take similar actions following future elections “knowing that they, too, could be absolved with the stroke of a presidential pen.”
It noted that while presidential pardons are “absolute” under the Constitution, Trump’s pardons “have been used to systematically undermine the workings of the justice system,” and “risk normalizing political violence and creating a two-tiered justice system where consequences depend on political allegiance rather than actions.”
Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and former Proud Boy Gabriel Garcia are among the January 6 defendants from Florida.
“Their newfound freedom is more than symbolic; it is an invitation for others to test the limits of the law, knowing that loyalty to Trump can serve as a get-out-of-jail-free card,” the editorial said.
The fallout from the pardons “may not be immediate, but it will be felt for years to come,” the editorial concluded.
“Voters who believed in fair and free elections now have even more reason to question whether the guardrails of democracy will hold. And those who seek to undermine the nation’s institutions have just received a clear signal: if they act in service of the right political cause, they may not have to face real consequences,” it said.
Meanwhile, the newspaper also criticized the preemptive pardons that Joe Biden issued in the final hours of his presidency.
“While Biden’s last-minute preemptive pardons were issued out of concern of retribution from Trump, they serve to further weaken the power of government to enforce the laws,” it said.
What People Are Saying
President Trump told Fox News‘ Sean Hannity in his first interview since returning to the White House that attacks on police officers on January 6, 2021, were “very minor incidents.”
He said: “These people have served horribly a long time. It would be very, very cumbersome to go and—look, you know how many people we’re talking about? 1,500 people… Some of those people with the police, true, but they were very minor incidents, okay… and it was time.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement: “The people who invaded the Capitol on Jan. 6, whether they committed violence or not, should not have been pardoned. They unlawfully broke into the Capitol to stop the peaceful transfer of power. What they did is a serious crime. Donald Trump is ushering in a Golden Age for people that break the law and attempt to overthrow the government.”
Senator Thom Tillis told Reuters: “I saw an image today in my news clippings of the people who were crushing that police officer. None of them should get a pardon. You make this place less safe if you send the signal that police officers could potentially be assaulted and there is no consequence.”
What’s Next
The Federal Bureau of Prisons released more than 200 inmates in custody for January 6 crimes by Tuesday morning, officials told the Associated Press.