Vice President-elect JD Vance has stated that individuals responsible for violence during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, “obviously” should not be pardoned. This comes as President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to use his clemency powers for many involved in the attempt to overturn the election results.
During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Vance explained that the issue of pardons is “very simple,” asserting that those who “protested peacefully” should be pardoned, but “if you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned.” He acknowledged, however, that there might be “a bit of a gray area” in certain cases.
Trump, set to begin his presidency on January 20, has promised swift action on the matter. He stated, “Most likely, I’ll do it very quickly. Those people have suffered long and hard. And there may be some exceptions to it. I have to look. But, you know, if somebody was radical, crazy.”
More than 1,500 individuals have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol siege, which left over 100 police officers injured and forced lawmakers into hiding as they worked to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory.
JD Vance (Photo: Getty Images)
Among the cases are hundreds of individuals charged with misdemeanor offenses for unlawfully entering the Capitol without engaging in violence or destruction. Others have faced more serious felony charges, including assault for attacks on law enforcement.
Additionally, leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys extremist groups were convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as efforts to violently disrupt the peaceful transfer of power from Trump to Biden.
In response to criticism from some supporters of the Capitol rioters, who argue that his stance on pardons is insufficient, Vance defended his position in a post on X. “I’ve been defending these guys for years,” he wrote.
He further explained, “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.”
