Vice President-elect JD Vance is facing backlash from his boss, former President Donald Trump, after he publicly stated that people who were violent during the January 6 riots should not be pardoned. This contradicts Trump’s plan to issue pardons to many of the rioters once he returns to the White House. Vance, however, said that people who “protested peacefully” should be forgiven, but those who “committed violence that day” should not receive a pardon. He added that there might be some cases that are more complicated.
Trump has promised that he will pardon many of the people who took part in the Capitol riot on his first day back in office, which is just around the corner. He believes that many of those who were involved have suffered enough and may deserve forgiveness. However, he also mentioned that he would consider the details of each case and might make exceptions for certain individuals.
The January 6 riot, where supporters of Trump stormed the Capitol in an effort to stop Joe Biden’s election victory from being certified, led to over 1,500 people facing federal charges. The riot resulted in hundreds of injuries to police officers, and many lawmakers had to flee to safety. While some rioters only faced misdemeanor charges for illegally entering the Capitol, others faced serious felony charges, including assaulting police officers.
The leaders of extremist groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys were found guilty of seditious conspiracy for their roles in planning and encouraging the violence. This was part of a plot to stop the peaceful transfer of power from Trump to Biden.
Vance responded to criticism from those who support the rioters, explaining that his position wasn’t meant to be a complete reversal. He emphasized that both he and Trump care about people who are unjustly imprisoned, including those who may have been provoked or who did not get a fair trial. He assured his critics that he had been defending these people for a long time and that his stance was still supportive of those who were wronged during the riot.
In summary, Vance’s comments on pardoning the January 6 rioters are causing tension between him and Trump, with Vance making it clear that while he supports forgiveness for some, he does not believe violent offenders should be pardoned.
