WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump issued pardons for participants in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, including those convicted of assaulting police, in his first official action after returning to the White House as the country’s 47th president on Monday.
The pardons of about 1,500 people fulfilled Trump’s promise to release supporters who tried to help him overturn his election defeat four years ago. Another 14 people had their sentences commuted.
“These are the hostages,” he said while signing the paperwork in the Oval Office.
This is actually scary. I had thought that that Trump’s promise to pardon the Jan-6 terrorists was just blather to get him elected. I assumed that once in office he would just go full throttle on grifting and forget about his campaign promises. Since he cannot run again, I didn’t think there would be any direct benefit for Trump to actually follow through with them so I assumed he wouldn’t bother because Trump doesn’t do anything unless he personally benefits.
Now I have to wonder how Trump directly benefits from this. All I can think is that his slathering hordes will now assume, rightly or not, that they can do whatever they want in his name and they’ll get pardoned. In the coming months, Trump will drop hints on Truth Social that he doesn’t like certain people, and those people are going to be found beaten half, or even all the way to death that night.
We know who they are, and we know justice was not done. Don’t be scared. Be ready.
That was exactly the message: commit acts of violence against democracy, get impunity.
Trump was put in to create chaos and division. His purpose is the weaken the United States and to destroy anything that benefits the American people, replacing it with performative cruelty and scams. If you assumed differently, you weren’t paying attention the first time.
The people he pardoned are going to either commit violence, or be the victims of it. Either way it creates an excuse to crack down on public discourse, declare martial law, or put down insurrection.
They’ll do it with or without such an excuse. Organize and train. The only choices we have are to allow ourselves to be victimized, or to resist. Don’t make it easy for them. Make them suffer horribly for every minor gain.
The few people that saved their homes after the Hawaii fires or the California fires were proud of themselves for saving their homes. Until they realized they now have a house surrounded by ash in a neighborhood of ash.
Don’t build a fireproof home, build a fireproof community.
I’m starting to feel like he wants to stage something similar to seizing power next election, and he’ll do something like “pre-pardon” anyone who supports him at that time.
I mean, he has total immunity for Presidental acts and the pardon is one of those acts. So it is very safe to assume he will abuse those facts to attempt yo maintain power. Fuck John Roberts.