The day after Donald Trump was elected to serve a second term in the Oval Office, I asked in this post “How might Prez-Elect Trump operationalize his promise to pardon January 6 defendants?”. Though a number of press outlets have started focusing on this notable clemency question (round up here, this new Politico piece is among the most interesting of the genre. The extended piece is headlined “Puzzling over Jan. 6 pardons: 6 areas of uncertainty in Trump’s clemency plans,” and here are excepts from the start of the piece and its headings:
Since winning the election, President-elect Donald Trump has avoided providing specifics about his promise to pardon Jan. 6 defendants. And it’s led to rampant speculation — especially among the 1,600 defendants who have been prosecuted for their role in the Capitol riot — about just how far he’s willing to go.
Vice President-elect JD Vance supercharged their angst Sunday when he said violent Jan. 6 defendants “obviously” shouldn’t be pardoned, but quickly elaborated after Trump’s MAGA allies lit him up. Vance then laid out some additional clemency criteria that are tricky to parse.
A week before Trump takes power, here are six big questions about Trump’s clemency plan:
Will Trump blanket pardon all Jan. 6 misdemeanor defendants?…
Will Trump pardon people who committed assault? What about other felonies?…
What Does Vance mean by a “garbage trial?”…
What happens to leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers?…
How will Trump’s DOJ handle ongoing Jan. 6 cases?…
What does Pam Bondi tell the Senate?
I think these good questions are only part of what is likley to be a long-running story regarding how Donald Trump uses his clemency powers in his second time in the oval office. And, as is always true when it comes to the use of this authority, a whole lot of lives hang in the balance.
A few of many recent related posts: