Trump’s mass pardons of Capitol rioters undermines US democracy

Jan 24

Dr. Rashad Richey National TV Political Analyst, Talk Radio Host, Univ. Prof.

By Straight Arrow News

Over 200 rioters serving prison sentences for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol have begun to be released shortly after President Trump began his second term as president. Trump issued pardons to more than 1,500 individuals, including those who had assaulted police officers. The “full, complete and unconditional” pardons — far more extensive than many had anticipated — drew sharp condemnation from police unions, the general public and lawmakers, including some Republicans.

Watch the above video as Straight Arrow News contributor Dr. Rashad Richey argues that Trump’s pardons have proven he is anti-police, anti-constitution and anti-democracy. Dr. Richey says those who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 are domestic terrorists and that no American patriot should defend them.

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The following is an excerpt from the above video:

He did not wait days, he did not wait weeks, months — he wasted no time showing you his priority. When Trump was sworn in again, one of his first acts as president of the United States was to release those who committed an act of domestic terrorism on that fateful day, Jan. 6 — we remember what happened — called the Jan. 6 rioters. That’s my opinion. I believe that they did, in fact, commit an act of domestic terrorism.

Now if the last names would have been “Mohammed” this would have been a different conversation, but let’s be very clear about Donald Trump’s action. Remember, there are those who decided to engage in aggressive action against police officers that took place, regardless of your contextualization outside of that — there is no mistake they committed criminal trespass, they committed destruction of property, they failed to follow lawful commands, the list goes on and on. Donald Trump says “no, these are patriots who deserve to be free.”

If Biden would have pardoned a Black Lives Matter protester because they were part of a crowd that got caught up in some other mischief — meaning they may not have come there to do such a thing, but the people they came with did so, they got caught up in the charge, just like anyone else, and Biden pardoned them — there would be an outrage, an uproar, from many in this country.

Okay, Donald Trump has proven that he is, in fact, anti police. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, anti police. He is anti constitution, his anti rule of law, his anti democracy and yes, anti police. Let me deal with the anti police part.

He did not wait

days he did not wait, weeks, months, he wasted no time showing you his priority.

When Trump was sworn in again,

one of his first acts as President of the United States was to release those who committed an act of domestic terrorism on that faithful day, January 6, we remember what happened, called the Jan six rioters. That’s my opinion. I believe that they did, in fact commit an act of domestic terrorism. Now the last names would have been Mohammed. This would have been a different conversation, but let’s be very clear about Donald Trump’s action. Remember, there are those who decided to engage in aggressive action against police officers that took place, regardless of your contextualization. Outside of that, there is no mistake

they committed criminal trespass, they committed destruction of property, they failed to follow lawful commands. The list goes on and on. Donald Trump says no, these are patriots who deserve to be free if Biden would have pardoned a Black Lives Matter protestor because they were part of a crowd that got caught up in some other mischief. Meaning they may not have come there to do such a thing, but the people they came with did so they got caught up in the charge, just like anyone else,

and Biden pardon them.

There would be an outrage, an uproar

from many in this country.

Some of you say, well, the Capitol Police, they’re different, how, how they are the nation’s police, basically to protect

the President, members of Congress, your elected representatives at the highest level of federal office. How are they different? Somehow,

you see if a protester says something adversarial about, let’s say a city cop in Mississippi

that gets blasted on social media. All of a sudden, everyone crucifies that protester for exercising a freedom called speech.

But when many protesters

catch bus, playing and train, violate law, violate

lawful commands, and engage in aggressive behavior, not simply language, but behavior against police officers at the nation’s capital, all of a sudden, they are simply patriots standing up

for the country. You have to really look yourself in the mirror if you believe that’s the narrative, understand that many of the historical records that we have many of the stories that we have been given in American history were manipulated, just like this one that you see being manipulated right now in