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Right-wing media gloss over Trump’s pardons for violent January 6 rioters

Written by Lis Power & Gideon Taaffe

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Right-wing media have been quick to obscure the facts about President Donald Trump’s pardon of January 6 rioters, suggesting that he pardoned only nonviolent offenders and ignoring the pardons that went to violent offenders who assaulted police and carried weapons. 

The list of people pardoned by Trump includes at least one person who was charged with seditious conspiracy and hundreds more who were “convicted of assaulting police, carrying firearms, destroying property or otherwise contributing to the violent rampage.” 

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  • Trump pardoned around 1,500 people involved in the January 6 attack, including violent offenders

    • Trump issued “full, complete and unconditional” pardons to January 6 rioters, including “violent offenders.” According to The New York Times, “The pardons will also wipe the slate clean for violent offenders who went after the police on Jan. 6 with baseball bats, two-by-fours and bear spray and are serving prison terms, in some cases, of more than a decade.” [The New York Times, 1/20/25]
    • Pardons include individuals “convicted of assaulting police, carrying firearms.” As Politico noted, the pardon included “some of the most notorious participants in the attack,” like Enrique Tarrio, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy; Guy Reffitt, who “carried a firearm during a standoff with police”; and Ryan Samsel, who faced “a long list of assault charges.” [Politico, 1/20/25] 
    • Earlier this month, Vice President JD Vance told Fox News Sunday that rioters who committed violence on January 6 should “obviously” not be pardoned. Other prominent Republicans, including some in Trump’s administration, have advocated for rioters who attacked police officers to face consequences. Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) even tied her stance to Vance’s comments, saying, “I agree with JD.” [The Associated Press, 1/12/25; Project Democracy, 1/13/25]

  • Right-wing media whitewashed the pardons, suggesting they were for nonviolent offenders and minimizing violence

    • Fox & Friends co-host Lawrence Jones suggested Trump pardoned people who “didn’t attack officers," or engage in “any actual violence,” failing to mention that many of the pardons went to those who did attack officers. While discussing Trump’s pardon of January 6 rioters, Jones alluded to the fact that both Trump and Vance previously implied the pardons would be for people who “didn’t attack officers, if there wasn’t any actual violence.” Jones went on to say, “Promises made, promises kept.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends First, 1/21/25]
    • Newsmax’s Greg Kelly: “Donald Trump pardoned vulnerable, not very powerful, regular, ordinary patriots.” In a segment about Trump’s January 6 pardons, Kelly claimed that Trump pardoned the vulnerable and powerless. He also argued that Tarrio — the leader of the Proud Boys who was convicted of seditious conspiracy — was “just a guy who was being a guy, exercising his constitutional rights.” [Newsmax, Greg Kelly Reports, 1/20/25]
    • Fox News legal editor Kerri Urbahn emphasized “incredibly harsh sentences and penalties for … most of the relatively minor offenses” and failed to note that violent offenders were also pardoned. Instead, she highlighted what she implied was oversentencing of “relatively minor offenses like trespassing, misdemeanors.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 1/21/25]

  • Fox hosts previously argued Trump shouldn’t pardon violent January 6 offenders

    • Fox News host Jesse Watters said that he wouldn’t pardon January 6 rioters who were “slugging cops.” Watters then suggested he would support pardons for January 6 rioters who were “wandering around peacefully.” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 12/12/24]
    • Fox News’ Sean Hannity said on his radio show that people who were “acting in ways that were absolutely irresponsible and law breaking” have “gotta be held accountable.” Hannity did express support for pardons of “people that just walked in and were taking pictures and roaming around and taking videos.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 12/3/24]
    • Fox News host Mark Levin called for pardons for January 6 rioters who “didn't commit acts of violence against a cop.” Levin said, “I don’t want to hear a damn thing from you liberals when Donald Trump pardons almost all of the January 6 people who have been put in prison and have now criminal records.” [Fox News, Life, Liberty & Levin, 12/22/24]