Senate Democrats Condemn Trump’s Clemency for January 6th Rioters
WASHINGTON — Democratic and independent U.S. senators introduced a resolution on Monday condemning President Donald Trump’s pardons and commutations for individuals convicted of participating in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The resolution specifically denounces the clemency granted to those found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers. The attack, which occurred during the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, resulted in injuries to numerous law enforcement officers and forced lawmakers into hiding.
Leading the effort are Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Andy Kim (D-NJ). All Democratic and independent senators have signed the resolution, which explicitly disapproves of any pardons issued to those convicted of assaulting Capitol Police officers. While an initial press release omitted Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), social media reports suggest his subsequent endorsement.
Senator Murray intends to seek unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the resolution. Passage requires no objections from any senator; a single objection is sufficient to block its adoption. In a statement, Senator Murray emphasized her refusal to allow President Trump to reinterpret the events of January 6th, characterizing the attack as an armed insurrection incited by Trump himself. She highlighted the severity of the assaults, citing injuries sustained by officers including cracked ribs and crushed spinal disks. She expressed hope that Republican colleagues would support the resolution as a demonstration of solidarity with the Capitol Police officers who risked their lives to protect senators.
Despite the gravity of the situation, States Newsroom’s inquiries to 22 Republican senators regarding their views on the pardons yielded limited responses. Most either declined to comment, claimed unawareness of Trump’s actions, or focused solely on pardons issued by former President Biden. However, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a known Trump ally, acknowledged on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the pardons were a mistake, stating they wrongly implied that such actions are acceptable.
Trump commuted the sentences of 14 individuals involved in the attack, including ringleaders and members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. A “full, complete, and unconditional pardon” was granted to others facing charges related to the event. Of the roughly 1,572 defendants, 608 faced charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement, with 174 specifically accused of using deadly or dangerous weapons or causing serious bodily injury. A total of 172 pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers, 69 of whom admitted to using weapons during the assaults. Investigators documented the use of a variety of weapons by rioters, including firearms, chemical sprays, tasers, knives, flagpoles, and makeshift weapons fashioned from broken furniture.
The resolution’s sponsors cited several specific cases of violent offenders who received clemency. These included Christopher Quaglin (sentenced to 12 years for assaulting officers with bear spray and stealing riot shields), Tyler Bradley Dykes (nearly five years for assaulting officers with a stolen riot shield), Robert Sanford Jr. (just over four years for striking officers with a fire extinguisher), and Robert Scott Palmer (just over five years for throwing a plank and a fire extinguisher at officers).
It is noteworthy that prior to leaving office, President Biden pardoned members of the January 6th investigative committee and four police officers who testified before the panel. This action stands in stark contrast to Trump’s recent comments, made as recently as December, where he stated that the committee members “should go to jail.”
Last updated 1:40 p.m., Jan. 27, 2025
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