President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for his first day in office include jailing members of Congress who investigated the January 6th Capitol riot and pardoning those involved in the attack, according to a recent NBC News interview. During his appearance on “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker,” Trump specifically targeted Representatives Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney, accusing them of lying and demanding their imprisonment. He referred to the January 6th committee as an “un-select committee of political thugs and creeps.”
Following this statement, Trump advisor Jason Miller attempted damage control, claiming Trump’s words were taken out of context and that he simply sought equal application of the law. However, reports citing anonymous White House sources suggest President Biden may be considering preemptive pardons for Cheney and Adam Schiff, among others, anticipating potential Trump administration actions.
Liz Cheney, in a separate statement, condemned Trump’s actions on January 6th as “the worst breach of our Constitution by any president in our nation’s history,” emphasizing his attempt to overturn the election and incite the mob attack. The Justice Department has charged over 1,560 individuals involved in the riot, with a significant number facing convictions for various offenses, including assault and possession of deadly weapons. The potential for a mass pardon of over 1,000 individuals is a very real possibility.
Representative Thompson dismissed Trump’s threats, asserting the committee’s work was fully authorized and legally sound, and that no court has refuted its findings. He stated that neither pardons nor threats could rewrite history or erase Trump’s responsibility for the violence.
Trump further defended the rioters, claiming they “had no choice” in their actions and that their lives have been negatively affected by the charges. He also blamed Speaker Nancy Pelosi and perpetuated the debunked conspiracy theory involving Antifa. He falsely claimed the January 6th committee destroyed its evidence, a claim easily refuted by the publicly available transcripts, videos, and the committee’s 900-page final report.
Former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, another member of the January 6th committee, characterized Trump’s threats as a desperate act. He underscored the committee’s commitment to facts, the Constitution, and accountability, principles he stated were absent in Trump’s actions. The White House has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the reported consideration of preemptive pardons.