Vice President-elect J.D. Vance went on the Sunday morning media circuit to talk about pardons for the January 6 defendants.
It appears those who committed violent acts will not be pardoned. Watch:
JD Vance makes it official.
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) January 12, 2025
Those who committed violent acts on January 6th will not be pardoned.
pic.twitter.com/EogcXWILZN
Now, keep in mind that the word pardon has a very specific meaning: an official act of forgiveness for a crime, where the recipient is no longer considered guilty and will not face punishment for the offense.
It's different from the commutation of a sentence, in which the sentence is lessened but the conviction remains.
So pay attention to that language.
Some on the Right are not happy with this, demanding a full pardon for January 6 defendants. This writer tends to agree, after the blanket pardons Joe Biden gave to lots of people, including his son Hunter and years of the Left rioting and inciting violence in places like Minneapolis.
That being said, some sort of remedy for those other defendants is not off the table.
But Vance is defending himself from the criticism of the Right:
First of all, I donated to the to the J6 political prisoner fund and got ROASTED for it during my senate race. I've been defending these guys for years.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 12, 2025
Second, there were federal informants in the crowd. Do they get a pardon? I don't think so. The president saying he'll look at… https://t.co/MDUWkd37fP
The entire post reads:
Second, there were federal informants in the crowd. Do they get a pardon? I don't think so. The president saying he'll look at each case (and me saying the same) is not some walkback.
I assure you, we care about people unjustly locked up. Yes, that includes people provoked and it includes people who got a garbage trial.
A reasonable position.
The informants weren't charged anyway. They don't need pardons.
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) January 12, 2025
You said what you said about those who got violent. Your above post doesn't really offer any clarification on that.
No, it doesn't.
But -- in fairness -- it may have to do with what this writer mentioned above re: commuted sentences, etc.
I've said from day one that @JDVance is a rock-star VP pick. He has yet to prove me wrong. pic.twitter.com/hCw8Z8gxoW
— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) January 12, 2025
Remember how the media smeared him as 'weird' when he was picked?
People don’t even know that the January 6th trials were held directly across from the capital building. I know because I went to some. They never got a fair trial. Most of the peaceful people were lumped together with those causing damage.
— Natalie F Danelishen (@Chesschick01) January 12, 2025
Hopefully the Trump administration looks at every case very, very closely.
Pardons for non violent offenders.
— The Lectern Guy🇺🇸 (@lecternleader) January 12, 2025
Commuted sentences for anyone charged with violence.
Open investigations into what violent charges looked like and see if powers were abused.
In the meantime, get them back home to their families.
I want the truth, and that takes… https://t.co/ncPIunKWAy
This from a guy who was there.
I love the fact it's been normalized for our politicians to respond directly and publicly to their supporters/critics on this platform. Progress.
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) January 12, 2025
All J/6 political prisoners should be released on J/21. They have suffered more than enough. https://t.co/pyzbDUNuSk
X has changed that dynamic in a very fundamental way.
I’m firmly on Vance’s side here. https://t.co/jJG8zL6kSW
— Mark Noonan (@Mark_E_Noonan) January 12, 2025
Vance is trying to be reasonable, and while this writer has questions, this is fair.
Why is “MAGA” so skeptical of JD Vance?
— Buckeye Politics (@BuckeyePolitic1) January 12, 2025
Obviously he was a never Trumper 8 years ago but so were many people now in Trumps inner circle. Yet they don’t get nearly as much crap as Vance does. https://t.co/hzFYt4oyKZ
Excellent question.
I hope everyone holding JD to a standard of perfect speech does so with themselves. He is unmatched in the fight for justice with the protestors.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 12, 2025
Now that he has clarified, it makes sense.
No pardons for informants (if they were ever charged.)
Reviewing each case is something… https://t.co/abMM2LVIe3
Some people will never be happy, so you've got to do what you want to do, as a politiican.
There’s zero reason for it NOT to be a case by case decision. Why would you want to let out people who did actually beat cops? The majority will get a pardon because the majority didn’t do that. https://t.co/XRDNeIER4U
— Mara ✡️🍌📟 (@SoulofSowell) January 12, 2025
The argument against this is that BLM/Antifa rioters don't get prison time, and there's no justice under a two-tier system of law.
We'll see how this plays out.
But Vance did put his money where his mouth is, and that counts for a lot.
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