Vice President-elect J.D. Vance stated on Sunday during an appearance on Fox News that the incoming administration’s approach to January 6 pardons will hinge on whether the individuals in question engaged in violent behavior. The Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Joe Biden prosecuted over 1,200 individuals from nearly all 50 states for their involvement in the Capitol attack. During Fox News Sunday, host Shannon Bream pressed Vance on how the administration will determine the “line” when considering pardons for those convicted in connection with the riot.
“I think it’s very simple. Look, if you protested peacefully on January the 6th and you’ve had Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned,” Vance told “Fox News Sunday” anchor Shannon Bream. “If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned. There’s a little bit of a gray area there, but we’re very much committed to seeing the equal administration of law,” Vance added. “There are a lot of people we think, in the wake of January the 6th who were prosecuted unfairly. We need to rectify that.” (see video below)
Video footage from January 6 reveals a range of behaviors among those involved, with some individuals engaging in confrontations with Capitol police, while others were seen walking calmly through the building. In March 2024, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that some January 6 defendants had received improperly extended sentences. The decision sided with defendant Larry Brock, who had been sentenced in 2023 to two years in prison for obstructing an official proceeding.
The Biden administration’s Department of Justice had argued that sentence enhancements for disrupting judicial proceedings should also apply to those who disrupted Congress’ certification of the 2020 presidential election. However, the panel rejected this argument, stating that judges could not simply categorize the defendants’ actions as “interference with the administration of justice.”
President-elect Donald Trump has frequently shared his views on pardons, telling NBC’s Kristen Welker in December that he intends to review “individual cases” for those charged in the January 6 attack. Before this latest statement, Trump had discussed his plans with CNN’s Kaitlin Collins in May 2023, stating he would likely pardon a “large portion” of those federally charged. He emphasized that he would carefully evaluate each case, particularly when asked about pardoning four Proud Boys members who were charged.
JD Vance makes it official.
Those who committed violent acts on January 6th will not be pardoned.
pic.twitter.com/EogcXWILZN— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) January 12, 2025
