Trump Puts Violent Criminals Back on the Streets
Somehow, the headlines describing that Trump pardoned most of those convicted or charged for January 6 forgot to mention hundreds of them were convicted of violent assaults on cops.
The grant of clemency is actually somewhat interesting. Contrary to reports, almost everyone got pardoned. The exceptions — those whose sentences were commuted, rather than pardoned, are many of the top Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.
- Stewart Rhodes
- Kelly Meggs
- Kenneth Harrelson
- Thomas Caldwell
- Jessica Watkins
- Roberto Minuta
- Edward Vallejo
- David Moerschel
- Joseph Hackett
- Ethan Nordean
- Joseph Biggs
- Zachary Rehl
- Dominic Pezzola
- Jeremy Bertino
But the list is inconsistent. For example, Jeremy Bertino cooperated against the others (but has not yet been sentenced). He got a pardon with everyone else. But others (like Joshua James, who pled guilty to sedition) who cooperated are not on this list, and as a result will get a full pardon.
If this were reported correctly, it would exacerbate the anger a good number of Trump allies must feel right now: A number of Republicans, including even Mike Johnson, spoke out against pardoning the violent cop assailants. Trump ignored them all.
Ah well, I know it was a busy day, but you’d think you could get the headline right. Most of the people freed are not pre-trial defendants. They’re convicted criminals, hundreds for assaults on cops, many who pled guilty, just let out the door as one of Trump’s first acts as President.
Update: Trump put Ed Martin, someone involved in Stop the Steal, in charge of the DC US Attorney’s Office.
Update: In an Executive Order prioritizing the death penalty, Trump called for the death penalty for those who succeed in murdering cops.
(b) In addition to pursuing the death penalty where possible, the Attorney General shall, where consistent with applicable law, pursue Federal jurisdiction and seek the death penalty regardless of other factors for every federal capital crime involving:
(i) The murder of a law-enforcement officer; or
Yesterday, Danny Rodriguez was freed for nearly murdering Michael Fanone.
Trump also ordered DOJ to prioritize violent crime, like those committed by hundreds of the people he freed yesterday.
Sec. 6. Prosecuting Crime to Protect Communities. (a) The Attorney General shall appropriately prioritize public safety and the prosecution of violent crime, and take all appropriate action necessary to dismantle transnational criminal activity in the United States. [my empahsis]
Meanwhile, DOJ is issuing orders to halt the prosecution of people accused of violent crime.
I further direct the Attorney General to pursue dismissal with prejudice to the government of all pending indictments against individuals for their conduct related to the events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Bureau of Prisons shall immediately implement all instructions from the Department of Justice regarding this directive. [my emphasis]
Update: Via Harry Dunn, here’s all the automated notices that Aquilino Gonell has gotten telling him that people he testified against — all of whom assaulted him — have been released.
Update: Elevating Critter7’s link to the most recent update from DC USAO on the investigation. It says 174 people were charged with using a deadly weapon or causing serious bodily harm to a cop.
- Approximately 608 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 174 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer;
[snip]
Of those who pled guilty to felonies, 172 pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement; 130 pleaded guilty to obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder (riot); 69 pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement with a dangerous or deadly weapon; and 4 pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy– conspiring to use force against the United States. Some of these defendants pled guilty to one or multiple felony charges related to their conduct.
Now we’re into post truth, “conservative” misconduct is heavily watered down. Even BBC is describing them as “defendants”.
Another example of sanewashing is France24 described Musk’s Nazi salute as a “strange gesture”.
One source labeled it a “Roman salute”
The NYTimes has an article discussing, (paywall) that was reprinted in The Boston Globe
“Elon Musk ignites online speculation over meaning of hand gesture” …
These commutations, will get the Jan6 ringleaders out of jail, but won’t restore their civil rights (ability to own firearms, etc.) I predict that the Trump regime will watch and see if they make themselves useful, and may yet reward them with full pardons at a later date.
Even though I expected this, I was still surprised by the brazenness of these pardons. Forget Pax Americana—I no longer even think the United States of America will survive the next four years.
The laws on convicted felons owning firearms vary from state to state.
The Hill reported. “I JUST GOT THE NEWS FROM MY LAWYER…I GOT A PARDON BABY! THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP!!!” Chansley, who was photographed inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with a horned helmet, painted face and bare chest, wrote on X. “NOW I AM GONNA BUY SOME MOTHA FU*KIN GUNS!!! I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!”
I hope someone is tracking the criminal recidivism and violence these losers perpetrate when they get out, for future Nuremberg-like trials. The irresponsibility of Trump’s actions are beyond the pale. No responsible attorney would sign off on this nonsense. I continue to believe that lawlessness cannot last forever and these maladjusted scofflaws, including Trump, will be held to account at long last.
A Tale of Two Newspapers – Washington Post writes about Trump releasing Jan 6th defendants. The NY Times correctly notes that they were all convicted and writes an editorial about how unwise this is and how this serves Trump’s purpose of trying to rewrite history.
I feel sorry for those who testified against them and for the country.
Even saying this is rewriting history misunderstands the project. He’s telling folks who have been violent on his behalf that it’s lawful. He’s signaling those who haven’t been violent for him in the past, but might be in the future, that they will be protected. He wants brown shirts.
I’ll say again that this country hanged abolitionist John Brown and built statues for slaver Robert E. Lee. Trump is very much of that tradition.
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Who will protect the family of Rhodes? Will others of this group be persecuted for their testimonies? Stand by. What a day.
Yep, I was wondering how Rhodes’ wife and son feel about him being a free man now…
I hope someone in the media will track all those released and let us know if they commit crimes… and then lay those crimes at the feet of Trump. But likely I am just dreaming.
As I’ve suggested before, some group should create a website which tracks the Trump administration’s major actions and consequences in a very simple format. The consequences of releasing these criminals may take a while to emerge, but they should be tracked.
This today from Heather Cox Richardson:
“His pardon also included Daniel Rodriguez, who was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to tasing Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who suffered cardiac arrest and a traumatic brain injury. ‘Omg I did so much f—ing s— r[ight] n[ow] and got away,’ he texted to his gang. ‘Tazzed the f— out of the blue[.]’”
Yeah but Fanone didn’t die on J6 so what’s all the fuss?
This one EO is just one of many EOs that Trump signed yesterday that shows who he is: an incredibly insane sociopath. A vindictive small d-energy old man with the emotional maturity of a middle school kid.
It’s going to be a LONG four years of Trump’s insanity and abuse he’ll heap onto good Americans trying to do the right thing and live their lives who just want to be left alone.
Yeah, the scientific illiteracy is astounding, even for Trump and Project 2025 zealots.
Trump’s EO regarding there being only one gender was a gas. For starters, it relegates “gender” to ideology and refers to “sex,” instead. It purports to use the moment of conception as the time that determines gender. Good luck with that. It attempts to distinguish between female and male by referring to “large” and “small” reproductive cells. Reminds me of a junior high school sex-ed map of the body that goes from head to toe, but elides the middle third.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/
They’re at about grade-school level in sex-ed and a lot of other stuff. They haven’t gotten to middle-school level, where we used to get better information than that.
Not all junior high schools were as progressive as yours.
Typo: *two* genders, using the pre-EO language.
I’m sure I was confused because the import of using conception as the time at which to determine *sex* won’t work, because it’s not set yet.
Not shocked, yet also unable to expertly appreciate the local and historical reverberations. However, what of all the judges and attorneys, FBI agents, the aforementioned witnesses, who work in the system of justice? What is in store for them?
Today, ‘the day after,’ the justice system and the military are to undergo what kinds of reconfigurations?
Trump is a mafia boss. Always has been and always will be. I wonder was CJ Roberts is thinking now. Probably he is still wearing that sh*t eating grin on his face.
I have to disagree, friend. Trump is no mafia boss. Mafia bosses don’t bankrupt casinos. Trump is an incredibly stupid, stupid man who thinks his feces doesn’t stink.
In everything Trump does, Trump over compensates for his many shortcomings in his life.
A no doubt sobering read that I have just begun. The list of Presidential (Executive) Actions: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/
This one in particular is gonna hurt (INITIAL RESCISSIONS OF HARMFUL EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND ACTIONS) :https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/initial-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions/
Oh, the questions the media ask . . .
From the Guardian:
Video of this exchange at the link.
As you know, the Germans, like the Dutch, are very direct and actually demand answers to their questions. Amb. Pete Hoekstra learned that the hard way.
I remember the outrage when Kamala Harris texted the name of a Minnesota non-profit that helps people without funds make bail while awaiting trial. That was during the George Floyd protests when cops were arresting marchers who wouldn’t disperse timely enough. I still see angry mentions of her text. That was just bail help. The justice system was still followed and due process stayed in place. Trump has made a mockery of the system.
Trump’s release of his rioters confirms his responsibility for their offenses.
yes, and the fact that they were acting under his (and Roger Stone’s) orders
Great post pointing out the hypocrisy and incoherence of the President. His thought process seems confused. He says he backs the blue. Then he lends support to violent seditionists who savagely beat police officers. Then he pardons and commutes the sentences of the same. Then he pushes for the death penalty for those who murder law enforcement officers.
Then he wants to prioritize the prosecution of violent crime. Then he directs the Attorney General to dismiss pending indictments of members of the violent mob who injured over 100 law enforcement officers.
And even though all this was known to be what would happen, roughly half of the voters decided to support him. Just bizarre.
He has no need for consistency. It doesn’t matter to his supporters. They won’t recognize the inconsistencies because any contradictions will be stored in different memory files.
When you believe in nothing, you’re at war with everything.
Donald Trump
77,303,573 votes (49.9%)
Kamala Harris
75,019,257 votes (48.4%)
About 64% of the voting-eligible population
in the USAmerica voted in the 2024 election
which means
about 89,278,948 didn’t vote,
a far larger number than either candidate got
Trmp’s “landslide” is less than 50% of those who voted, less than a third of eligible voters. Don’t let him, and yourself, forget it.
My current favorite example of Trmp’s “inconsistency” is the TikTok play: Trmp starts the ball rolling against TikTok and, when the Dems and Congress do something about it, Trmp turns around (pocketing the change) to support TikTok. From my cynical perspective, it smells like a confidence game with a damned if you do, damned if you don’t bonus for the Repubs against the Dems. Where is WC Fields when you need him?
OT, slightly: Performative journalism from the NYT. Charlie Savage writes
“With the NYT, I have filed a FOIA lawsuit seeking disclosure of the volume of Jack Smith’s report about Trump’s classified documents case.”
Is this to make up for their burying-the-lede coverage of the last 8 years?
https://bsky.app/profile/charliesavage.bsky.social/post/3lgawhcomnk2r
I’m sure someone in the crew wishes that the press release could have said that he pardoned 1488 folks…
A criminal releasing criminals. Rewarding abusive and violent behavior. Teaching our children Abuse 101.
Heist film script: Flood the stands with chaos and rob the box office vault
Already done — 1995’s Die Hard with a Vengeance”. Unlike Hollywood we won’t have a lone ranger defeating the bad guys and making witty quips.
Additionally, more sane washing from Disney last night, giving him propaganda time during half-time of the national championship game. I wonder what happened to “kEeP pOlItiCs oUt oF spORtS!!!”?
I discovered it IS possible for me to think less of the mouse!
yes, exactly…I was stunned to see TCF’s visage on my screen at halftime…
Some news stories about the pardons cite approximate numbers of offenders in various categories (violent, carried weapons, etc.). The source of those stories appears to be a posting by the US Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia, dated 6 Jan 2025, which contains detailed numbers, e.g. “approximately 174 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer …”. https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/48-months-jan-6-attack-us-capitol
That posting also appears to be the inspiration for the news stories’ use of the word “defendants” to describe the convicted criminals, since that is how it describes them.
The final line of that posting links to a pdf document that contains even more numbers and details, “Status of Prosecutions Related to the Siege of the Capitol on January 6, 2021”.
Those with interest in all of this may wish to download; Trump’s DOJ just might start erasing info about the nature of the pardonees’ crimes shortly – as Team Trump ramps up efforts to rewrite history.
From Trump on January 7, 2021, this is the perhaps the only true statement he makes.
“…TO ALL OF MY WONDERFUL SUPPORTERS, I KNOW YOU’RE DISAPPOINTED, BUT I ALSO WANT YOU TO KNOW OUR INCREDIBLE JOURNEY IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING. THANK YOU, GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD BLESS AMERICA. ”
Here is the video from C-SPAN. Just a couple minutes. https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-on-election-and-breach-of-the-us-capitol/587379
I could only get through 2 pages of the list of EOs that Trump signed yesterday that PeteT0323 linked to. I wanted to see what shit we are going to have to deal with but I just got too sad, infuriated and sick to skim through all of it.
I have a feeling that Mike Johnson will find that trading the J6 pardons of cop killers/attackers for the EOs on gender and DEI perfectly reasonable. I highly doubt Mike’s going to be at all perturbed by the pardons. We all know that no one in the current iteration of the Grand Old Party has any integrity. I’m really hoping someone asks Josh Hawley about Trump “saving” TikTok. Assuming Josh doesn’t just ignore the question, I really want to see what kind of pretzel logic/gaslighting Josh will resort to.
I’m even more grateful that Ashli Babbitt got the justice she deserved.
But he’s closing the border to keep out bad hombres!
When one door closes another door opens.
We haven’t had actually-open borders since some time before 1895.
I wonder what will be the fate of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys who cooperated with the Department of Justice and are now in the witness protection program administered by the United States Marshall Service.
It’s over, call it a day.
Sorry that it had to end this way.
No reason to pretend.
We knew it had to end
someday, some way …
A little musical comic-relief for Day 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyrqawbuvDk