Washington — Vice President-elect JD Vance says those responsible for the Capitol riot “obviously” should not be pardoned, despite President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to use his clemency power on behalf of many of those who attempted to overturn the election results that Trump lost on Jan. 6, 2021.
Vance insisted in an interview on “Fox News Sunday” that the pardon question is “very simple,” saying those who “protested peacefully” should be pardoned and “if you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned.” He later admitted that there was a “bit of a gray area” in some cases.
Trump said he would pardon rioters on “Day 1” of his presidency, which begins on January 20. “Most likely, I’ll do it very quickly,” he recently told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He continued, “Those people have suffered long and hard. There may be some exceptions to this. I need to look. But, you know, if someone was radical or crazy.”
More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes in connection with the siege, which injured over 100 police officers and forced lawmakers to flee as they gathered to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
Hundreds of people who did not cause destruction or violence were charged with misdemeanor offenses for illegally entering the Capitol. Others faced felony charges, including assault for beating police officers.
Leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys extremist groups were found guilty of seditious conspiracy for plotting to use violence to prevent the peaceful transition of power from Trump, the Republican incumbent, to Biden.
In a post on X, Vance responded to criticism from Capitol riot supporters that his position did not go far enough to free all convicted individuals. “I’ve been defending these guys for years,” he joked.
“The president saying he’ll look at each case (and me saying the same) is not some walkback,” Vance pointed out. “I assure you that we are concerned about people who have been unfairly imprisoned. Yes, that includes people who were provoked as well as those who received a garbage trial.”
