# 7 Jan 2021 and beyond - the aftermath of the storming of the Capitol **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 8, 2021, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020 "2021-01-08T10:28:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 262
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5231 "2025-01-21T03:54:46Z")
There’d been a trial balloon a few weeks back that he wouldn’t pardon those actually convicted of violent crimes such as attacks on Capitol Police officers, but I never really expected he’d draw that distinction, the fucker. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5232 "2025-01-21T04:17:05Z")
Did he? He only pardoned the non violent offenders? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5233 "2025-01-21T04:21:02Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > He only pardoned the non violent offenders? Doesn’t look that way. > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned or commuted the prison sentences of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes [in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot](https://apnews.com/projects/january-6-cases/), including people convicted of seditious conspiracy and assaulting police officers, using his clemency powers on his first day back in office to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy. > > Trump’s action, just hours after his return to the White House, paves the way for the release from prison of dozens of people found guilty of violent attacks on police, as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of plotting to stop the peaceful transfer of power after Trump lost the 2020 election to former President Joe Biden. > [@](#): > > Former [Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone](https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-capitol-riot-hearing-aquilino-gonell-michael-fanone-96fd6e07e1d2700417575880df2fde69), who lost consciousness and suffered a heart attack after a rioter [shocked him with a stun gun](https://apnews.com/article/capitol-riot-sentence-daniel-rodriguez-michael-fanone-stun-gun-e9695c314110df4064fc0cd242b58a68), appeared stunned to learn from an Associated Press reporter that those who assaulted police officers are among the pardon recipients. > > “This is what the American people voted for,” he said. “How do you react to something like that?” > **[Trump issues sweeping pardon of 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, including rioters...](https://apnews.com/article/capitol-jan-6-pardons-trump-justice-department-8ce8b2a8f8cb602d5eaf85ac7b969606)** > > President Donald Trump says he is pardoning all of the 1,500-plus people who have been charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5234 "2025-01-21T04:23:07Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Doesn’t look that way. This will cost him the Police vote. And you know, if he had only pardoned those guilty of trespassing, it wouldnt have bothered me. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5235 "2025-01-21T04:25:09Z")
A little more clarification, that, yes, the pardons did include nearly all of those who were convicted of violent crimes (and the few who weren’t pardoned had their sentences commuted), from this Reuters article: > [@](#): > > President [Donald Trump](https://www.reuters.com/topic/person/donald-trump/) on Monday pardoned nearly everyone criminally charged with participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, in a show of solidarity with supporters who stormed the seat of American power in his name. > > The act effectively wipes away legal consequences for all but 14 of the nearly 1,590 people charged over the riot. The exceptions, members of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers organizations, had their sentences ended early and will be released from federal prison. > > Trump also directed the U.S. attorney general to drop all pending cases related to the riot. [https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-preparing-issue-sweeping-pardons-defendants-charged-jan-6-attack-abc-news-2025-01-20/](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-preparing-issue-sweeping-pardons-defendants-charged-jan-6-attack-abc-news-2025-01-20/) ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5236 "2025-01-21T04:25:10Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > This will cost him the Police vote. What on Earth are you talking about?! ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5237 "2025-01-21T04:31:01Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > > Doesn’t look that way. > > This will cost him the Police vote. > > And you know, if he had only pardoned those guilty of trespassing, it wouldnt have bothered me. This is almost certainly wrong. The police will continue to love him, because he’ll gut any federal efforts to investigate state/local police practices. So they can keep hiding their dirty little secrets. To most cops these days (not all) any police/LEO that got hurt on 1/6 were traitors anyway. As for those “just” guilty of trespassing, well, let me STRONGLY disagree. Trespassing may have technically been what was done, but it certainly wasn’t their intent if the were there. Sure, I may blame Trump _more_ for goading the mob, but they have agency as well. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5238 "2025-01-21T12:36:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > This will cost him the Police vote. Yep. WE GOT HIM! ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5239 "2025-01-21T12:47:02Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > As for those “just” guilty of trespassing, well, let me STRONGLY disagree. Trespassing may have technically been what was done, but it certainly wasn’t their intent if the were there. Sure, I may blame Trump _more_ for goading the mob, but they have agency as well. Agree. They where a totally out of control rioting mob. Those ‘trespassers’ where part of it, %100. Now if it was just some random folks that entered a building that was not secure, not defended sure, they may have just be curious. Provided they didn’t have nefarious intent. These assholes had a plan. It was a bad one, but it was a plan with the intended outcome of proventing the President elect from holding office. That’s serious shit. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5240 "2025-01-21T13:07:08Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > This will cost him the Police vote. No such thing will happen. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5241 "2025-01-21T15:35:43Z")
I read the following in the comments section of Paul Krugman’s Substack today. Highly suggest you getchyseff a free subscription immediately for some intelligent, insightful reading unconstrained by editors. He posts a few times per week. > **[No Time for Wonkery](https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/no-time-for-wonkery/comments?utm_source=substack%2Csubstack&publication_id=277517&post_id=155303319&utm_medium=email%2Cemail&isFreemail=true&comments=true&utm_campaign=email-half-magic-comments&action=post-comment)** > > This is hell, nor are we out of it Here’s the comment from a reader named Greg Florence ([_who also has a Substack_](https://substack.com/inbox/post/155329875?r=12fx35&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true&triedRedirect=true)). > “I think people need to write their Congresspeople to put pressure on Speaker Johnson to refuse any requests to allow January 6th attackers to come to the Capitol building as **honored guests for the State of the Union address.** I included something folks can send to their Congresspeople and Senators on my post. I have no hope that we can forestall it, but I see it as a real possibility and it troubles me greatly.” (More detail at the link above next to Florence’s name.) My bold. Not only is this possible, but I can see trump awarding each and every one of them the presidential medal of freedom. Am I delusional? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5242 "2025-01-21T15:59:34Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > even though I expected as much from the asshole, it is still revolting when he does it. This. I think some part of me had been expecting the earth to open under the inauguration and swallow them all up. Nope. We ain’t helping the planet and she sure ain’t gonna help us. > [@DrDeth](#): > > This will cost him the Police vote. Too late, even if it does. And this is what he said he was going to do. Why didn’t it cost him their vote in November? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5243 "2025-01-21T20:22:48Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > What on Earth are you talking about?! He pardoned rioters who attacked and caused police to die. > [@ParallelLines](#): > > As for those “just” guilty of trespassing, well, let me STRONGLY disagree. I did not say I would approve of it. I said- it wouldn’t have bothered me, I mean compared to all the other crap trump has just done, it would be a minor blip. Still wrong, but not as wrong as most of his recent actions. > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > And this is what he said he was going to do. Why didn’t it cost him their vote in November? IIRC he had said he wasnt going to pardon those convicted of violent crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5244 "2025-01-21T20:26:40Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > > And this is what he said he was going to do. Why didn’t it cost him their vote in November? > > IIRC he had said he wasnt going to pardon those convicted of violent crimes. You may not have noticed but the man lies. He lies a lot. /s ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5245 "2025-01-21T20:27:41Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > You may not have noticed but the man lies. He lies a lot. /s You may not have noticed, but a lot of voters believe those lies. 😇 ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5246 "2025-01-21T20:57:22Z")
In what election? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5247 "2025-01-21T21:00:30Z")
Last fall. And then Vance floated the same idea but was shouted down. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5248 "2025-01-21T21:02:02Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > This will cost him the Police vote. You posted this yesterday. What election are you talking about? I’m sorry but your mixing of tense and time makes it very difficult to understand you. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5249 "2025-01-21T21:07:52Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > What election are you talking about? I’m sorry but your mixing of tense and time makes it very difficult to understand you. The 2026 elections, the candidates he backs will have problems with that. There no mixing of tense. He pardoned guys who killed cops. The Police really hate that. You know, trump has won & lost other elections besides the ones he is personally running in. When a trump back candidate loses- trump loses. If for example in 2026 the Dem retake the House- as some have predicted, and even retake the Senate- a bit of a long shot- trump will be hamstrung. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020/5250 "2025-01-21T21:12:46Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The 2026 elections, the candidates he backs will have problems with that. There no mixing of tense. He pardoned guys who killed cops. The Police really hate that. Well Trump isn’t running in 2026 for one, so this won’t cost him any votes, police or otherwise. As for the candidates he backs, I will have to disagree. The Police won’t agree with you either. They don’t hate what Trump did because they don’t think he pardoned any cop killers. Police will overwhelmingly endorse and vote as Trump directs them to. It won’t even be close. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020.md?page=261) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/7-jan-2021-and-beyond-the-aftermath-of-the-storming-of-the-capitol/930020.md?page=263)