{"id":1067,"date":"2025-01-27T06:03:34","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T07:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/developeternal.com\/?p=1067"},"modified":"2025-01-27T07:25:55","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T07:25:55","slug":"pardoning-violent-rioters-sets-dangerous-precedent-trump-ally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/developeternal.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/27\/pardoning-violent-rioters-sets-dangerous-precedent-trump-ally\/","title":{"rendered":"Pardoning violent rioters sets dangerous precedent \u2013 Trump ally"},"content":{"rendered":"
Extensive clemency for the January 6 Capitol protesters could erode public trust and prompt legal reforms, US Senator Lindsey Graham says<\/strong><\/p>\n US Senator Lindsey Graham has criticized President Donald Trump\u2019s decision to pardon individuals convicted of violent offenses during the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, warning that it could have long-term consequences.<\/p>\n Pardoning people who attacked police officers sends \u201cthe wrong signal to the public at large,\u201d<\/em> Graham told CNN on Sunday.<\/p>\n On January 20, Trump signed an executive order granting clemency to around 1,500 individuals connected to the Capitol riot. Among those pardoned was Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers militia, who was convicted in 2022 of seditious conspiracy. He received the second-longest prison sentence (18 years) among all the January 6 defendants.<\/p>\n He was serving his sentence at a federal prison in Cumberland, Maryland prior to his release, which has drawn criticism from legal experts and lawmakers who argue that the decision risks emboldening extremist groups.<\/p>\n Graham, a South Carolina Republican and longtime Trump ally, expressed concern over the implications of blanket pardons.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like this. I don\u2019t like it on either side. And I think the public doesn\u2019t like it either,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n Graham warned that unrestricted clemency could diminish public trust in presidential powers, adding that \u201cIf this continues, if this is the norm, there may be an effort to rein in the pardon power of the president as an institution.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised to pardon individuals charged in connection with the January 6 riot. His sweeping executive action, however, has faced mixed reactions.<\/p>\n