The rioters convicted for their actions on Jan. 6, 2021 are walking free after President Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences for nearly all of them.
Jacob Chansley, known widely as the “QAnon Shaman,” said he’s headed out to buy some guns after learning of his pardon.
Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys who was convicted for leading the riots, will not serve out his 22-year sentence.
Trump also commuted the sentence for Stewart Rhodes, who founded the far-right militia group Oath Keepers.
Both Tarrio and Rhodes were released on Tuesday.
Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton: “Trump has pardoned, commuted the sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of more than 1,500 people charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, including people convicted of assaulting police officers.”
Democrats are furious, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) calling the pardons “un-Ameican.”
Republicans are being hounded for a response to the pardons, with news outlets running their past remarks about how they would not support the release of those convicted of violent crimes.
“No one should excuse violence,” Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told Semafor. “And particularly violence against police officers.”
However, former President Biden’s blanket preemptive pardons for his family members — including his brother Jim Biden, who had attracted the scrutiny of Biden’s own Justice Department — has Republicans turning the mirror back on Democrats.
Biden previously pardoned his son for tax and gun crimes, as well as anything illegal he might’ve done over the course of a decade.
“Biden opened the door on this,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).
Some Democrats agree, with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) telling Huffington Post: “I think we’re going to have a very hard time critiquing Donald Trump’s improper use of the pardon power because of President Biden pardoning his own family members.”
Indeed, many Republicans are pulling the “what about Biden” card when asked about the Trump pardons.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told CNN: “I’ve got concerns with any pardons for people who did any harm to police officers. Full stop. And I’ve also got serious concerns with all of the pardons by Biden including the prospective pardons. That may mean we need to look at what that authority really entails.”
Biden also pardoned some of Trump’s most vocal critics, including members of Congress who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 riots, such as Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
Schiff, who said ahead of time that he didn’t want a pardon, called Biden’s move “unnecessary” and “unwise.”
