After Re-election, 47 Pardons Most Jan 6 Rioters Fulfilling Campaign Promise

On Monday, President Trump granted pardons to the vast majority of individuals charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot, marking an extraordinary exercise of clemency. He characterized these individuals as "great hostages" who had been treated unfairly compared to other rioters, suggesting that many were influenced by outside agitators and alleging FBI involvement. This action fulfilled a campaign promise to pardon those he believed were unjustly prosecuted.

It's the not the first time a President used the pardon power to reconcile the nation.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, offering pardons to Confederate soldiers who pledged allegiance to the Union and accepted the end of slavery. This initiative aimed to weaken the Confederacy by encouraging defections and laid the groundwork for reintegrating Southern states into the Union. While the offer excluded high-ranking Confederate officials and those guilty of war crimes, it reflected Lincoln's broader goal of healing and reuniting a fractured nation during the Civil War. His approach sought to balance justice with leniency, fostering reconciliation and national unity.

The Inspector General's report on Jan 6 revealed that indeed, President Trump did offer up to 10,000 national guard troops and gave the order to 'make sure;' Jan 6 was a 'safe event.' As the Speaker of the House, the Constitution makes them solely responsible for all security of the Capital building. Then Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi rejected any national guard troops. Worse, former Capital Police Chief Sund testified under oath that his requests for more personal on Jan 6 were rejected by Nancy Pelosi.

We still don't fully understand why Pelosi and General Milley refused to provide adequate security on a day when the entire nation was aware of the potential for riots and even violence.

Just minutes before leaving office, President Biden issued pardons to Gen. Milley and the Jan 6 Committee, although it's not clear if that pardon includes Nancy Pelosi.