In a pointed statement, former Vice President Mike Pence has made it clear that individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol attack, particularly those who assaulted police officers, damaged property, or attempted to hinder the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, should not be granted pardons. Speaking on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Pence emphasized that such actions should not be forgiven, nor should offenders receive any form of financial compensation.
The discussion arose during an interview with host Bill Maher, who pressed Pence on the motives of the rioters at the Capitol. This included those who infamously chanted threats against Pence himself. According to reports shared with the House committee investigating the incident, President Trump allegedly reacted with approval to these chants as the chaos unfolded.
Pence distinguished between those who may have been swept up in the events of that day and those who committed violent acts. “I had no problem with the president pardoning people who got caught up in that day,” he noted. However, he drew a firm line against extending clemency to those involved in violent crimes, asserting, “For anyone who assaulted a police officer, anybody that violated and vandalized the seat of our government and sought to disrupt the counting of electoral college votes, those people never should have been pardoned and they should never get a dime.”
On the other hand, former President Trump, at the onset of his second term, had issued broad pardons to several January 6 defendants, which included individuals convicted of assaulting law enforcement. Trump defended these actions, citing perceived unfair treatment by the judicial system as a primary reason for his decision to issue the pardons.
On the first day of his second term, Trump issued mass pardons to Jan. 6 defendants, including individuals convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers. Trump has listed a number of reasons for pardoning rioters, namely their treatment by the prosecution and the justice system.
The Trump administration recently abandoned plans for a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that was part of a settlement between Trump and the IRS in a $10 billion lawsuit over the leak of his tax returns.
The fund, which was designed to compensate those who believe they were unfairly targeted by the federal government during previous administrations, faced sharp criticism from lawmakers in both parties over concerns that the money would benefit Jan. 6 rioters.
Two law enforcement officials that were injured during the riots sued to block payouts from the fund, arguing that it could settle claims brought on by any Jan. 6 rioters who committed acts of violence.
Pence has been publicly critical of efforts to “rewrite” the history of what happened at the Capitol riot.
“I’ve certainly seen evidence of that, particularly, I was offended on the anniversary of January 6 when the White House put out a timeline that literally blamed Capitol Hill police for the riot that took place that day,” the former vice president said in an interview.