Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) expressed that President Joe Biden ought to “seriously” take into account granting preemptive pardons to individuals on the House Select Committee scrutinizing the January 6 insurrection, cautioning that President-elect Donald Trump’s recent statements made him resemble a “tin-pot dictator.”
In a conversation with Meet the Press, Sanders conveyed his “nervousness” regarding the forthcoming resignation of FBI Director Christopher Wray, who has announced his intention to resign before completing his decade-long term.
“You see, when Trump speaks about imprisoning individuals from that January 6 Committee, it sounds like a tin-pot dictatorship,” Sanders remarked to host Kristin Welker. “Therefore, I hope that we have an FBI and a Justice Department that safeguard the civil liberties of American citizens and strive to uphold American democracy.”
The previous week, Welker interviewed the president-elect, during which he commented that members of the January 6 committee “ought to be incarcerated.” Trump swiftly remarked that he wouldn’t instruct his attorney general or FBI director to probe committee members.
Throughout the 2024 election cycle, Trump has also consistently vowed to pardon those involved in the Capitol riot as one of his initial actions upon taking office. In a conversation with Time magazine published last week, Trump stated he would commence reviewing their individual sentences “in the first hour upon entering office,” later revising that to “perhaps the first nine minutes.”
When questioned whether Biden should think about preemptive pardons for the members of the January 6 Committee, Sanders replied “I believe he should definitely contemplate that.”
However, the Vermont independent also rejected Trump’s suggestions to imprison the committee members, labeling his comments “outrageous.” Sanders indicated that “many Republicans” would oppose the proposed prosecutions, referencing Welker’s dialogue with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) just moments prior. When asked if he believed the members of the January 6 committee should face jail time, Graham firmly stated “no.”
Sanders, one of the most progressive senators in Congress, has seemingly adjusted his stance towards the incoming administration in recent days—even extending rare commendation toward Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the two affluent individuals appointed by Trump to head a “Department of Government Efficiency” with promises to make defense spending more effective.
On Sunday, Sanders also expressed his willingness to collaborate with the president-elect to increase the federal minimum wage. Trump had earlier mentioned he would “consider” elevating the $7.25 minimum, which has remained unchanged since 2009.
“I attempted, I think, two years ago, to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour. We received zero support. Not a single Republican backed it,” Sanders stated.
