On Tuesday, President Donald Trump found a method to justify pardoning numerous individuals convicted for their involvement in the Jan. 6 riots, some of whom aggressively assaulted law enforcement officials, by asserting that they had already endured sufficient time in prison.
During a press conference at the White House, Trump took inquiries from reporters, starting with NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Peter Alexander, who posed the initial question: “You would agree that it’s never acceptable to assault a police officer?”
This question prompted a simple “sure” from Trump.
Alexander proceeded to get specific, saying, “Among those you pardoned was D.J. Rodriguez. He drove a stun gun into the neck of an officer who was captured by the mob that day. He later admitted on video to the FBI and pleaded guilty to his offenses.”
Rodriguez, arrested in March 2021, was sentenced to 12.5 years behind bars in June 2023.
“Why does he deserve a pardon?” Alexander inquired.
At first, Trump had no response.
“Well, I don’t know,” he replied. “Was it a pardon? Because we are looking at commutations and we’re looking at pardons.”
Alexander clarified that it was indeed a pardon.
“Okay, well we’ll take a look at everything,” Trump responded, even though the pardon granted to Rodriguez cannot be undone.
Trump then diverted from the topic, incorrectly asserting that murderers in certain cities “aren’t charged.”
“But I can say this: Murderers today are not even getting charged. You have murderers that aren’t charged everywhere. Just look at what’s happening in Philadelphia. Look at L.A., where individuals murder others and don’t face charges,” he stated.
Returning to the discussion about those convicted in connection with Jan. 6, including Rodriguez, Trump appeared to finally craft his defense.
“These individuals have already spent years in prison, and their experiences have been brutal. It’s a horrifying prison. It’s been terrible. It’s inhumane. It’s been an awful, awful situation,” he commented.
After another tangent about Portland, Seattle, and Minneapolis, Trump reiterated, “So, these individuals have spent a significant period of time, and I made a decision to grant a pardon.”
Officer Michael Fanone, who was Tasered by Rodriguez, expressed his feelings about the mass pardons by stating: “I feel betrayed by my country.”
Interesting that the interviewers never mentioned the murderers, drug dealers, and rapists that former-President Biden pardoned and commuted prior to Trump’s second term beginning…
