{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"text":"Yes","color":"#624960","stance":"yes"},{"text":"No","color":"#4ac6ec","stance":"no"}],"id":46774,"title":"Should Trump Pardon the Rioters Who Stormed the Capitol?","html_content":"

by Causes | 1.14.21

What's the story?

\nPresident Donald Trump has the ability to pardon the pro-Trump Capitol rioters for any federal crimes they may have committed. \n
The participants in the riots - which left at least five dead - were some of President Trump's most ardent, vocal supporters. Indeed, during the raid on the Capitol, the president issued these words to the mob:

“We love you. You’re very special. Go home.”

In the past, Trump has issued several pardons to supporters and controversial criminals, including Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, and Charles Kushner.
As lawyer and legal analyst Danny Cevallos wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer:

\"Trump knows the people who stormed the Capitol love him. Here’s the real bizarre question: Will he love them back with a mass pardon?\"

Can the president issue blanket pardons?

Theoretically, the president could issue a blanket pardon that would cover everyone involved in the raid on the Capitol—\"even if he didn’t know their names and they haven’t all been formally charged,\" according to the Washington Post.
Jon Sheldon, a criminal defense attorney, told the paper that there is precedent for presidents granting \"group\" pardons, \"including a case where the Supreme Court interpreted an 1865 pardon by President Andrew Johnson\" to allow Confederate attorneys to practice law.
And President Jimmy Carter issued a blanket pardon to all draft-dodgers of the Vietnam War, regardless of whether they'd been arrested.

So will Trump pardon the mob?

\"With Donald Trump, one never knows.\" -Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Kirschner

What do you think?

Should Trump pardon the Capitol rioters? Take action above and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman

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Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":4,"is_following":null,"influence_score":46920,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1588,"following_count":85,"position_count":548,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":1409528,"body":"Unless he wants to say he was complicit and resigns from office.","parent_type":"Article","parent_id":46774,"created_at":"2021-01-15T01:53:20.247Z","liked":false,"like_count":2,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/comments/1409528","likers":"https://www.causes.com/api/v1/likers?likeable_id=1409528&likeable_type=Comment"},"article_id":46774,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/comments/1409528.png","note":{"text":"No","color":"#4ac6ec","stance":"no"},"note_text":"No","note_color":"#4ac6ec","user_id":"49Nbdk9r","liker_ids":["Bmyny8a9","9odrQBnb"]}}

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