WASHINGTON (AP) — Many Republican senators say they are opposed to President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon and commute sentences for more than 1,500 people who attacked police officers, broke into the building or committed other crimes related to the attack on the building January 6th did not agree to Capitol four years ago.
But they are not pushing back on the decision.
“We’re not looking back, we’re looking forward,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, repeating his constant response to questions about Trump’s promises of retaliation from his first term.
Thune did not say whether he supported or opposed the pardons, unsettling many on Capitol Hill who survived the attack and fled the crowd of Trump supporters as they violently broke into the building and stopped the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory .
Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said he would have preferred a more “surgical approach” to pardons, examining them on a case-by-case basis. “It’s not ideal in my opinion,” Cramer said. “But I think I understand the spirit of it and I’m comfortable with it… hopefully we can move forward now.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., agreed.
“It’s a difficult question because we work with them up here,” Tuberville said of the Capitol Police, who have been beaten every day by rioters and Guard deputies. “Ultimately, we have to put January 6th behind us.”
Going beyond the attack on the Capitol and downplaying its violence has become a central approach for Republicans in Congress, who have enthusiastically embraced Trump again after his defeat in 2020 and his attempts to overturn Biden’s victory. And Republicans’ muted response to his sweeping pardons of both nonviolent and violent rioters on Jan. 6 was another manifestation of their longstanding strategy of praising Trump when they agree and ignoring him when they disagree.
(*6*) said West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a member of the Republican leadership.
The pardons, part of a flurry of executive orders on Trump’s first day in office, immediately upended the largest prosecution in Justice Department history and freed criminals who brutally cracked down on police officers and members of far-right groups seeking to keep Biden from taking office . More than 100 police officers were injured. Some were never able to fully return to work.
Many prominent Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, Vice President JD Vance and attorney general candidate Pam Bondi, had suggested that Trump would review the cases individually. But as he had long promised, Trump’s actions were much broader.
In defending Trump’s move, Republicans could also point to Biden’s own spate of preemptive pardons, including to his own family and House members investigating the Jan. 6 attack as he left office.
“Why does everyone ask me about January 6th? “Aren’t you going to ask me about the Biden pardons?” asked Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
“We should be focused on the Biden pardons,” Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said angrily when reporters asked him about clemency for the Jan. 6 rioters.
Many Democrats also said they disagreed with Biden’s actions. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he opposed the preemptive pardons and was frustrated that they gave Trump “an argument — even a false argument — to pardon the January 6 insurrectionists as well “.
Some Republicans said they agreed with Trump.
New Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno said he appreciated the Capitol Police officers but “no one was treated worse” than the rioters. Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis said she was “so glad these people are out of prison.”
More than 200 people convicted of the Jan. 6 crimes were released from Federal Bureau of Prisons custody as of Tuesday morning, officials told The Associated Press.
Some Republican senators said they opposed the pardons, although they appeared resigned to the idea. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he has an “honest disagreement” with the president about pardoning violent criminals. South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds said he couldn’t defend her.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins said she received a message from a police officer who sent her a video of his attack. “I don’t disagree with him at all,” she said. “People who committed violent crimes on January 6, 2021 should not be pardoned.”
The pardons from both Trump and Biden “undermine public trust,” she said.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she was disappointed with the pardons and pointed to a police officer guarding Republicans as they headed to their weekly lunch.
“I fear the message that will be sent to these great men and women who stood with us,” Murkowski said.
___
Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Lisa Mascaro and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report.
