Trump Pardon Called Out by Pro-Trump Police Union
On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump commuted the sentences of 14 individuals as well as issuing a blanket pardon for more than 1,500 others.
The pardons were celebrated by MAGA, but they are already having some negative implications for Donald Trump.
Set Them Free
Donald Trump has always portrayed himself as a law and order president, as well as someone who fully back the blue, so the pardoning of violent offenders went against this narrative.
Even so, Trump’s pardon stated, “This proclamation ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation.”
The order offered clemency to people like Steward Rhodes and Roberto Minuta from the Oath Keepers, as well as Jeremy Bertino, of the Proud Boys. Nearly a dozen of those pardoned or offered clemency had been charged with sedition, and hundreds had been charged with violent crimes against police.
Trump had previously stated that the cases would be looked at individually, and only days before JD Vance had stated that any violent offenders should be left in prison. Clearly, neither of those took place.
Not Happy
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) were not happy with these pardons, and they immediately released a statement calling out Trump for the pardons.
The joint statement read, “Crimes against law enforcement are not just attacks on individuals or public safety — they are attacks on society and undermine the rule of law.’
“Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families.”
When Trump was asked about the violent offenders, he responded, “They’ve already been in jail for a long time. These people have been destroyed.” Most Republicans, including Trump, has suggested life in prison for assaulting a police officer, so these pardons go against everything the party has been pushing for years.
Not Done Yet
There was another pardon that caught people’s attention, that being the pardon of Silk Road founder, a darknet website, Ross Ulbricht. Ulbright created the site as a darkweb marketplace for drugs, fake IDs, among just about anything else you could possibly imagine. He had also been accused of trying to murder people who had flipped on him.
He had been sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years, but Trump set him free due to a promise to Bitcoin fans who believed he was overcharged and treated poorly. I disagree… he purposely created an outlet to trade drugs, among other legal activities, and he should have been held accountable.
While Speaker Johnson (R-LA) called Joe Biden’s flurry of last-minute pardons “shocking” and “disgusting,” which they were, he merely stood next to Trump and smiled when Trump announced his pardons. The only response Johnson gave on that front was to say, “The president made his decision.”
These pardons will eventually fade out of the news cycle, but come mid-term elections and the next general election, Democrats will surely have ads attacking Republicans for saying nothing against these pardons while claiming to be the party of law and order. There is simply no way Ulbright should have been set free, nor should have any violent offenders. Believe me, if the Dems take back the House, their first order of business in 2027 will be to draw up impeachment papers against Trump via the 14th Amendment for lending aid and comfort to an insurrectionist.
