McConnell differs with Trump on Jan. 6 pardons

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that he does not support shortening the sentences of any of the people who have pleaded guilty to crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol. 

“I would not be in favor of shortening any of the sentences for any of the people who pleaded guilty to crimes,” McConnell told reporters when asked about former President Trump’s statement over the weekend that he would consider pardons for people who tried to stop the certification of President Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.  

“The election of 2020 was decided Dec. 14 of 2020 when the Electoral College certified the winner of the election. What we saw here on January the 6th was an effort to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to another, which has never happened before in our country.” 

McConnell noted that 165 people linked to the violent storming of the Capitol more than one year ago “have pleaded guilty to crimes.”  

The GOP leader did not address the second part of a reporter’s question that asked whether Trump has the moral authority to be president again.  

Trump sparked new controversy during a Saturday rally in Texas when he floated the possibility of granting pardons to the Jan. 6 protesters.  

“If I run and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly,” he said. “And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons because they are being treated so unfairly.”