SHOT/CHASER: Trump’s Shameless Pardon Parade for Insurrectionists Undermines Democracy
SHOT: Three years ago, MAGA extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol and attempted to overturn a free and fair election. Former President Donald Trump’s latest interview with TIME Magazine highlights MAGA Republicans’ ongoing efforts to minimize the events of January 6th and push their draconian agenda.
In the interview, Trump confirms his intentions to further jeopardize our democracy by hinting at further violence after the 2024 election, pardoning January 6 insurrectionists, and stifling those who refuse to perpetuate the Big Lie. MAGA Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson are continuing to push this blatantly anti-democratic and unpopular agenda.
The insurrection not only threatened the lives of lawmakers, law enforcement, and government staff—it resulted in the deaths of eight people, injured over 140 officers, and threatened the peaceful certification of the 2020 election and the integrity of our nation’s democracy.
CHASER: Rather than condemn the violence and destruction they witnessed on January 6, MAGA extremists in the House continue to defend the events of January 6th and echo Trump’s attempt to minimize the attack, falsely label the rioters as “patriots,” and champion their cause.
- Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) said federal law enforcement were “harassing peaceful patriots.”
- Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) pushed their false claim that the FBI was involved in the Jan. 6 attack.
- Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) described the insurrection as a “normal tourist visit” and as a “bold face lie.”
- Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) referred to insurrectionists imprisoned for their actions on January 6th as “hostages.”
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene visited Jan. 6 defendants in jail with other lawmakers and shook hands and high-fived the prisoners.
Adding insult to injury, several GOP lawmakers sought pardons from Trump for their roles and involvement in the January 6 attack. Among many, those MAGA extremists like Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz displayed shameless self-preservation and underscored their complicity in fanning the flames of a violent insurrection. Trump’s blanket pardons for insurrectionists and the moral bankruptcy in the House GOP must be met with accountability. We must call on Congress to defend our democracy, uplift the needs of the American people, and hold elected officials accountable for prioritizing extremist ideals at the expense of our democracy.
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