MWEG Response to Jan. 6 Pardons

President Donald Trump’s indiscriminate pardons of those who participated in the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, fly in the face of the rule of law, legitimizing and excusing political violence when wielded against one’s opponents. Those who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection imposed chaos and terror on a time-honored process of certifying election results, disrupting the peaceful transfer of political power. 

While the use of pardons by presidents from both parties has been abused over past decades, with a particular escalation more recently by President Biden, President Trump’s permissive and expansive pardon of more than 1,500 individuals, over 1,000 of whom pleaded guilty, is uniquely disturbing in its disregard for the rule of law, judicial process, and democratic norms. This action shows extreme disrespect for law enforcement personnel who were harmed in the line of duty that day or died as a result. As many who participated in the attack on the Capitol were associated with far-right militia groups, this pardon sends a message that the government will look the other way when extremists commit violence.

Hundreds of Americans participated in the judicial process by weighing evidence and determining the guilt of the rioters. Overturning their convictions with a single executive action is a flagrant abuse of power by the executive branch.