At a campaign event in New Hampshire, shortly before the state’s Republican presidential primary, Donald Trump heard from a supporter who urged him to “free” Jan. 6 criminals. “We will,” the former president replied.
As for when, exactly, the presumptive GOP nominee intends to take such a step, the answer is coming into sharper focus. NBC News reported overnight:
Former President Donald Trump said Monday that one of his first acts as president if he wins in November would be to “free” those charged and convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. “My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
So, a few things.
First, while it’s true that Trump has been talking about pardoning suspected and convicted Jan. 6 criminals for quite a while, this latest online missive broke new ground: The Republican intends to issue these pardons among his “first acts,” suggesting it’s one of his top priorities.
Second, Trump will apparently be quite busy early on a prospective second term. Don’t forget, he’s repeatedly said he wants to create a “dictatorship” on “Day One” of his return to the White House.
Third, it continues to be deeply weird to see Trump push the “drill, baby, drill” nonsense given that under the Biden administration, domestic energy production is at an all-time high.
Fourth, Trump might very well be the first presidential candidate in the history of American politics to be running on a platform that effectively says, “Vote for me and I’ll deliberately release violent criminals back onto the streets.” Finally, stepping back, it’s important to emphasize that in the weeks, months, and years that followed the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, federal prosecutors got to work charging rioters, not just because they committed crimes, and not just to hold them accountable, but also to prevent future attacks. The message was intended to be clear: The United States prosecuted these insurrectionists, so those thinking about following in their footsteps should expect to face legal consequences, too. Trump intends to silence that message, undo what’s been done, and make clear that criminals who ignore the law in his name need not worry about accountability. There is arguably no greater example of the Republican’s hostility toward the rule of law.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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