JD Vance splits with Trump on major issue that could cause turmoil on their first day back in the White House
JD Vance took a shocking stance from Donald Trump when he pardoned those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, a division that could raise tensions early in their administration.
President-elect Trump has issued sweeping pardons to many of those charged in connection with the attack, saying he would act “very quickly” on Day 1 of his presidency.
However, the vice president-elect has taken a more nuanced approach, emphasizing accountability for violent offenders.
In an interview on Fox News Sunday Vance drew a line by saying the pardon question is “very simple,” stating that those who committed violence should “obviously” not be pardoned, while peaceful protesters could deserve clemency.
He later said there was a “bit of a gray area” in some cases, suggesting room for discretion.
“We are deeply committed to seeing equal justice, and there are, we believe, many people who have been unfairly prosecuted in the aftermath of January 6,” Vance said.
Trump’s position, by contrast, leans heavily toward broad pardons, citing the suffering endured by the convicts, though he noted he could make exceptions for individuals he deemed “radical” or “crazy.”
The apparent divide in attitudes on the issue comes as Trump promises to use his clemency power on behalf of many of those who tried to overturn the results of the election that Trump lost.
Trump said he would pardon rioters on “Day 1” of his presidency, which begins next Monday, January 20.
Vice President-elect JD Vance has taken a starkly different position than President-elect Donald Trump on pardoning those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, a division that could raise tensions early in their administration .
Trump has promised sweeping pardons to many of those charged in connection with the attack, saying he would act “very quickly” on Day 1 of his presidency.
Pro-Trump protesters storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021
“Most likely I’ll do it very soon,” he said recently on NBC’s Meet the Press.
He added that “those people suffered long and hard. And there may be some exceptions to this. I have to look. But you know, if someone was radical, crazy.”
More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the siege that injured more than 100 police officers and sent lawmakers into hiding as they gathered to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 victory.
Hundreds of people who were not guilty of destruction or violence were charged only with misdemeanors for illegally entering the Capitol.
Others were charged with crimes including assault for hitting police officers.
Leaders of the extremist groups Oath Keepers and Proud Boys were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as plots to use violence to stop the peaceful transition of power from Trump, the Republican incumbent, to Biden.
Trump’s supporters are pushing for a blanket pardon, while Vance has defended his more subdued position, saying, “I assure you that we are concerned about people who have been wrongfully incarcerated.”
In a post on “I’ve been defending these guys for years,” he said.
Donald Trump delivers his ‘Save America Rally’ near the White House in Washington, on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, minutes before urging his followers to head to the Capitol
Trump has stated many times that “freeing the January 6 hostages” is a priority of his
Shocking footage from the Capitol shows the MAGA gang assaulting a cop with flagpoles
Vance emphasized in an interview on Fox News Sunday that Vance drew a line by saying the pardon question is “very simple” and stating that those who committed violence “clearly” should not be pardoned, while peaceful protesters could deserve clemency.
When inaugurated, Trump will be the first president of the United States to be convicted of a felony
“The president saying he will look at every case (and I say the same thing) is not backsliding,” Vance said.
‘Yes, this also applies to people who have been provoked and also to people who have been given a waste process,” he assured.
Some Republican lawmakers are urging Trump to pardon all the January 6 rioters.
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said those in jail over the attacks — regardless of their crime — should be released.
“Even those who fought the Capitol Police caused damage to the Capitol. I think they have served their time, and I think they should all be pardoned and released from prison,” Greene said.