...
By Jordan King
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Vice President-elect JD Vance is facing heat for saying people who committed violence on January 6, 2021, should not be pardoned, with one protester saying the comment has left him "emotionally distraught."
Vance has responded to the backlash, insisting his comment is "not some walkback" and promising he cares about "people unjustly locked up."
Newsweek has contacted the Trump-Vance transition team via email for further comment.
Read More on News
Why It Matters
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to pardon many involved in the Capitol riot in 2021, saying a "vast majority of them should not be in jail." In December, he said he would look at each situation on a "case-by-case basis" when asked about pardoning violent rioters.
What To Know
On Sunday, Vance said January 6 protesters who took part in violence may not be pardoned.
He told FoxNews: "If you protested peacefully on Jan. 6 and you've had [Attorney General] Merrick Garland's Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned. If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn't be pardoned."
Several January 6 protesters have responded to the comments, calling it a "betrayal" and arguing that those involved did not receive a fair trial.
Luke Lints, who was sentenced after pleading guilty for interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder on January 6, said in a post on X: "I'm absolutely emotionally distraught right now."
Philip Anderson, from Texas, who was arrested for and pled not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges connected to January 6, wrote on X: "Telling your own supporters that the election was stolen and then not giving them a pardon or commutation after you sent them into what you call a 'fedsurrection' and 'trap' is a betrayal. All of the J6 defendants must be saved. JD Vance is wrong and I hope Trump will save his own supporters."
Referring to the federal cases against Trump that have been dropped, conservative commentator Nick Fuentes said: "If Trump got a 'get out of jail free' card, then so should EVERY ONE of his supporters who rallied for him on January 6th."
Jake Lang, who was arrested for multiple charges including civil disorder and assault, said in a direct message to Trump and Vance: "Name one Jan Sixer that was offered a fair trial in Washington D.C."..."So if you're going to start nit-picking between which Jan Sixers can stay and which ones can go home one day one January 20, in eight days, then we're gonna need answers into which one of us had a fair due process of law. Because of right now, all of us have been rail-roaded in a two-tier justice system and persecution, a witch hunt." Lang pleaded not guilty.
What People Are Saying
Vice President-elect JD Vance: "First of all, I donated to the to the J6 political prisoner fund and got ROASTED for it during my senate race. I've been defending these guys for years. Second, there were federal informants in the crowd. Do they get a pardon? I don't think so. The president saying he'll look at each case (and me saying the same) is not some walk back. I assure you, we care about people unjustly locked up. Yes, that includes people provoked and it includes people who got a garbage trial."
John Strand, who served time for a felony charge of obstruction of an official proceeding and four misdemeanor violations in relation to January 6, reposted Vance and said: "I don't know who needs to hear this, but every J6 defendant who was forced to be tried by Washington D.C. judges and juries 'got a garbage trial' EVERY SINGLE ONE."
Political scientist John G. Geer, dean of the College of Arts and Science at Nashville's Vanderbilt University told Newsweek: "Pardons will cause Trump and his team some trouble. But that will be quite common across many issues. Running for office allows the candidate to be vague and avoid disagreement in many cases. Governing requires choices and that will lead to unhappiness within Trump world with their choices. [Steve] Bannon, for example, is expressing his unhappiness already. It just goes hand in hand with governing."
...
In December, Trump told Time magazine: "I'm going to do case-by-case and if they were non-violent, I think they've been greatly punished. And the answer is I will be doing that, yeah, I'm going to look if there's some that really were out of control."
What Happens Next
Trump will be inaugurated as the next president on January 20. It remains to be seen what he will do about the January 6 protesters.
Update 1/14/25, 10:37 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from John G. Geer.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines