# Is it inevitable one of these freed J6ers attacks a Democratic politician? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 21, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214 "2025-01-21T15:56:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/1 "2025-01-21T15:56:55Z")
By freeing even the ones convicted of violent offenses hasn’t he just told a radical group of people they are free to commit violence in his name with no repercussions? It seems inevitable they or someone inspired by them will commit political violence again. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/2 "2025-01-21T16:02:14Z")
I’d say it’s possible, but it’s not inevitable. For example, if someone murdered a Democratic politician, they would be charged with a state crime, which would not be pardonable by the president. However, I think another attack on the Capital in Washington DC is more likely to happen now than not. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/3 "2025-01-21T16:12:59Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > For example, if someone murdered a Democratic politician, they would be charged with a state crime, which would not be pardonable by the president. How many of them are up on that distinction? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/4 "2025-01-21T16:50:08Z")
Individual action is a lot different than mob mentality. I would be careful about drawing straight lines between the two without a lot of thought. For example, the Whitmer plotters and the rioters are very similar, but they do also have deep differences as well. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/5 "2025-01-21T16:52:17Z")
Yeah, this is my thought as well. The attorneys and judges who locked-up these nitwits probably have more to be concerned about than Democratic politicians. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/6 "2025-01-21T18:00:39Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > By freeing even the ones convicted of violent offenses hasn’t he just told a radical group of people they are free to commit violence in his name with no repercussions? It seems inevitable they or someone inspired by them will commit political violence again. Yes, that is the point, although I would be less concerned about threats to individual politicians per se than the tacit encouragement of far-right and Christian nationalist ‘militia’ movements, which if someone can get them organized would make the beginning of a quasi-governmental militia force that could be used to terrorize outspoken activists. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/7 "2025-01-21T19:03:41Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > For example, if someone murdered a Democratic politician, they would be charged with a state crime, which would not be pardonable by the president. Depends where the Democratic politician got murdered. I hear a lot of them work in Washington, DC, which is not in any state. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/8 "2025-01-23T20:59:36Z")
It’s my understanding that if one of them did attack a politician, the previous act could be brought up (to the extent that one ever can be in a trial) because a pardon doesn’t wipe it out of existence – it just eliminates the punishment. Is that correct? ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/9 "2025-01-23T21:05:37Z")
Yes, AIUI the prison sentence ends, but the conviction remains. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/10 "2025-01-23T21:12:06Z")
No, you’re thinking of a “commutation”. A full Presidential “pardon”, which is what Trump has given these scum, does in fact remove the conviction. But that doesn’t mean everyone is expected to pretend that the underlying crime never happened; it wouldn’t prevent the crime from being referenced by the prosecution at some future trial for a different crime (although there are many other reasons why a past conviction might not be admissible, depending on the particular situation). ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/11 "2025-01-23T21:17:14Z")
Oh! Thanks for the correction! ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/12 "2025-01-23T21:26:28Z")
It can get complicated, and probably will. For example, one of the J6ers, after being pardoned, was immediately charged with Federal gun violations (being a felon in possession of a firearm), based on guns being found when his house was searched in 2023. Obviously, that crime has nothing to do directly with Jan. 6. AIUI, however, that search was conducted for reasons relating to his J6 conviction. His lawyer is insisting that the pardon should therefore cover the gun charges as well; I doubt he’ll be able to sell that to the courts, but no doubt there will be a lot of these edge cases that courts will have to rule on. ---
**Author:** ![survinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@survinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/survinga)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/13 "2025-01-24T02:25:35Z")
So, Trump has murderous thoughts when people cross him. It’s why he tweeted out bad things about Mike Pence when the J6ers were attacking the Capital. The racist right has a thing they call “The Day of the Rope”. It’s kind of like a Night of the Long Knives, but the focus is on killing left-wingers, liberal pols, race-traitors. I could see an organized physical assault on Democratic party politicians, where many of them are attacked during a similar timeframe, maybe not in one place (like J6) but on one day or during one week. These people fantasize about this stuff. It could happen. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/14 "2025-01-24T02:34:48Z")
> [@survinga](#): > > I could see an organized physical assault on Democratic party politicians, where many of them are attacked during a similar timeframe, maybe I honestly thought you were going to say _“at the State of the Union address.”_ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/15 "2025-01-24T02:42:30Z")
> [@survinga](#): > > These people fantasize about this stuff. It could happen. Damn near anything _could_ happen. It’s silly for you / us to ruminate on that. The people that handle their security have a need to watch for that crap. Your job is not to drive yourself crazy inventing what-ifs, but to fight the whatever-really-happened-yesterdays. Once they do really happen. ---
**Author:** ![survinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@survinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/survinga)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/16 "2025-01-24T02:52:11Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Your job is not to drive yourself crazy inventing what-ifs, but to fight the whatever-really-happened-yesterdays. Once they do really happen. You’ve got to be kidding, right? These types of attacks already have happened. J6 was an organized violent assault on Congress & the VP. We were lucky that Mike Pence, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and some others weren’t hurt or killed… And now that the man that set all of J6 off is back in office, and he’s pardoned the rioters. So, there is a risk of another type of violent situation. Trump has sparked political violence, and via the pardons, he’s signaled that he’ll do it again. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/17 "2025-01-24T03:02:47Z")
And what exactly do you personally propose to _do_ to stop this? All else short of concrete action is performative handwringing and or psychological self-harm. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/18 "2025-01-24T03:05:23Z")
> [@survinga](#): > > We were lucky that Mike Pence, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and some others weren’t hurt or killed… > **[Lauren Boebert offers Jan. 6 rioters 'guided tours' of Capitol on night of...](https://www.rawstory.com/lauren-boebert-2670904320/)** > > An angry Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) showed up at the D.C. Central Detention Facility (D.C. Jail) on Tuesday to offer guided tours of the U.S. Capitol to Jan. 6 rioters who President Donald Trump pardoned.In an impromptu news conference, Boebert... At least Pence doesn’t have to worry about the above. ---
**Author:** ![survinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@survinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/survinga)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/19 "2025-01-24T12:23:34Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > And what exactly do you personally propose to _do_ to stop this? All else short of concrete action is performative handwringing and or psychological self-harm. This thread is about whether or not there’s a risk of one or some of these J6ers attacking a Democratic party politician, and I’m commenting on the risks that I think exist. I wasn’t aware that I had to propose how to stop it. It’s going to be hard to stop if someone is determined to do it, especially considering that Trump has previously encouraged & even planned & set-off political violence. We’re in a time that we’ve never been in as a country. It’s not performative handwringing to comment on the risk in this thread. It’s being realistic. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214/20 "2025-01-24T13:02:58Z")
My view is some MAGA hothead attacking a Dem politician is baked in. Gonna happen, period. That person being a J6 veteran is IMO unlikely just on numbers. The total number of MAGA hotheads today is lots larger than the few who bothered to be there for J6. Further, the recruiting for the formal informal hothead right wing bullie squads hasn’t really gotten underway yet. Once that happens the number of goons with guns, attitude, and a strong sense of impunity will dwarf the number today. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-inevitable-one-of-these-freed-j6ers-attacks-a-democratic-politician/1013214.md?page=2)