“President Trump‘s sweeping pardons for 1,500 Jan. 6 criminals and defendants were a last-minute, rip-the-bandage-off decision to try to move past the issue quickly, White House advisers familiar with the Trump team’s discussions tell Axios.” The report continued:
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- Trump vacillated during an internal debate over targeted clemency vs. a blanket decision according to two insiders.
- But as Trump’s team wrestled with the issue, and planned a shock-and-awe batch of executive orders Day 1, “Trump just said: ‘F -k it: Release ’em all,’” an adviser familiar with the discussions said.
Better to act — adding oomph to the promised shock and awe! on day one that would dominate the news cycle, wow his MAGA fans, and demoralize opponents — than pausing to make a considered judgment.
Axios again:
Why it matters: Trump’s move to “go big” on the pardons sheds light on his unpredictable decision-making process, and shows his determination to fulfill a campaign promise to his MAGA base — regardless of political fallout.
Uhm, yeah. And then there’s this: Overturning judgments by the courts, repudiating the rule of law, and shrugging off the safety of the community by releasing a bunch of violent criminals. Those matter too.
Let’s not forget what happened:
On Jan. 6, 2021, supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, injuring approximately 140 law enforcement officers, forcing a panicked evacuation of the nation’s political leaders, and threatening the peaceful transfer of power.
Five people died during or soon after the riot, and more than $2.9 million worth of damage was done to the Capitol. Rioters brought firearms, knives, hatchets, pepper spray, baseball bats and other improvised weapons to the Capitol grounds and prosecutors say many of those weapons were used to assault police.
And one more thing, raised by a report (“Clemency for Oath Keepers, Proud Boys fuels extremism threat, experts say“) in the Washington Post :
Trump’s pardons and commutations “could further embolden fringe groups …” Step back for a moment. Does it take an expert to figure this out? The new president, in deciding to “go big,” gave a free pass to members of a mob who both Democrats and Republicans agreed (until Trump acted, at which point Republicans caved or dissembled or hid out) should serve out their sentences. Trump has signaled to the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, and other paramilitary groups: I have your backs. Trump has signaled to all of us: violence on my behalf is okay.
On inauguration day, even before Trump took the oath of office for the second time, the Proud Boys were marching again in D.C. demanding that Trump issue the pardons he had promised. Trump didn’t disappoint them.
There will be more trouble ahead, that’s a certainty.