No executive order excited us more than did the pardons of what Trump called “the January 6th hostages.” He didn’t pick those words accidentally.
The Washington Post ran its version of the story under the headline, “Trump pardons almost all involved in Jan. 6 riot, commutes remaining 14 sentences.” First, note WaPo’s use of the word “riot” and not “insurrection.” The sub-headline added, “Trump ordered those still incarcerated to be released immediately from federal prison.” And releases did immediately start last night, with many political prisoners streaming out of the federal jails and overjoyed family members posting on social media.
Nobody expected these complete J6 pardons. As recently as late November, Trump told Time Magazine he would take a “case-by-case” approach to the pardons. This month, Vice President Vance told Fox, “If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned.” Later, Vance clarified he didn’t mean to exclude “people provoked” or “who got a garbage trial.”
But, except for 14 people, Trump’s proclamation yesterday granted a “complete and unconditional pardon” to anyone charged or convicted for any offenses related to the January 6th protest. The total —that we know of— is nearly 1,600, — but it was broad enough to include people the DOJ hasn’t found yet, which will be a great relief for a whole lot of folks.
As for the 14, which included nine Oath Keepers and five Proud Boys, Trump commuted their sentences, which means they have served their time. Trump said he will still consider extending them pardons.
“We hope they come out tonight, frankly,” Trump said as he signed the order.
Unnoticed by many was an astonishing rhetorical connection secreted inside Trump’s J6 comments. During yesterday’s late rally and indoor parade at the Capitol One Arena, at one point Trump introduced some returned Israeli hostages along with the distraught parents of other hostages still held by Hamas. They were given yellow ribbons as big as scarves.
But the President kept the Israeli hostages and families standing on stage, right behind him, wearing their literal yellow highlight, when Trump then turned his attention to January 6th. With the Hamas hostages standing in the same frame, Trump called our J6 political prisoners “the January 6th hostages.”
In other words, Trump compared our J6 prisoners to the Hamas hostages.
Think about the scathing significance of that harsh comparison. The Hamas operatives who captured the innocent civilian hostages were war criminals, barbaric terrorists and rapists.
In other words, Trump compared Democrats to Hamas terrorists.
It was quietly and skillfully done and it was easy to miss. But it was there. And it was obviously conceived in advance and executed with precision, as was the rest of the swamp-draining Trump unplugged yesterday.
I’m not sure Washington has ever seen anything like this. They will be completely discombobulated today, and if anything, it looks the most like Trump’s Team has plans to accelerate. The Resistance may never catch its balance.
Here’s another white-hot take for you: Joe Biden deserves some of the credit for these terrific, broad J6 pardons. As you know, Biden pre-emptively pardoned human cockroach Fauci, the entire evidence-destroying J6 Committee, treasonous General Mark Milley, and Joe’s whole Biden Crime Family — and that final group was pardoned mere minutes before noon yesterday when Biden’s term officially ended.
People were understandably infuriated by the Biden pardons. But they should also recognize that Biden’s unprecedented pre-emptive pardons also made Trump’s universal, pre-emptive J6 pardons politically possible. Indeed, it’s not just these pardons. Over the last four years, Biden busily destroyed many so-called “political norms” —with corporate media cheering him on— which now makes draining the swamp more politically possible.< It’s actually quite remarkable how helpful Biden’s horrible presidency is turning out to be. I realize many of you will insist that the J6 pardons can’t be compared to Fauci and the rest. After all, the J6ers are innocent or were entrapped, while Fauci and crew are drenched in blood. That’s true, things would have been much harder without the Biden pardons. Trump could have pardoned the J6ers, including the ones convicted for acts of violence, but it would have been extremely politically expensive—eroding the power of Trump’s mandate and consuming much political capital.
Biden’s pardons made the J6 pardons politically cheap. After what Biden’s done, the media doesn’t want to get into trying to compare and contrast the two sets of pardons. Corporate media is cunning enough to recognize that argument is a quagmire and a slough of the first order.
Hostage Takers should get Life in Prison without Parole or Pardons, Clemency be in Prison until they die
As long as practically NO BLM/ANTIFA violent terrorists were put in jail, as long as Ray Epps, who openly exhorted people to storm the Capital, as long as John Sullivan, the violent BLM activist who videoed himself walking through the Capital yelling “BURN THIS M-Fer DOWN!” is not in jail, NONE of the January 6th people should be in jail. While I don’t condone violence on any cops and think anyone that did should be punished, any accusations of attacks on Capital police suffers the same lack of credibility as every other charge made using the “evidence” the left used… and then destroyed.
Elon should fire every last one of them begin with the warden then work it down to the guards swapping places with the hostages.