Police organizations criticize Trump Jan. 6 pardons: 'Dangerous message'
Law enforcement organizations have criticized President Trump’s sweeping pardons for Jan. 6 rioters.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the U.S., said in a joint statement that they’re “discouraged” by the recent pardons from both the Biden and Trump administrations “to individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers.”
“When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence,” the joint statement read.
The IACP and the FOP did not specifically name the Jan. 6 pardons, but the National Association of Police Organizations did so in a separate statement, saying "those who commit violent assaults on law enforcement officers should not benefit from a pardon."
On his first day in office, Trump pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants, whom he’s referred to as “hostages,” affecting roughly 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack. Some of that number had been sentenced to years in prison for attacking law enforcement that day.
Trump’s action, particularly when it comes to pardoning those who assaulted Capitol Police, has drawn backlash from both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill. But Trump has defended the mass pardons, brushing away the suggestion that he doesn’t support law enforcement.
Asked on Tuesday why one person who used a stun gun on a police officer during the riot deserved to be pardoned, Trump said: “I don’t know, was it a pardon? Because we’re looking at commutes and we’re looking at pardons.”
And asked on Monday whether anyone who assaulted law enforcement during the Jan. 6 riots should face punishment, Trump said “they've already been in jail for a long time.”
The Fraternal Order of Police and the National Association of Police Organizations notably endorsed Trump for the White House.