A pair of January 6 Capitol rioters both spoke out about why they want nothing to do with President Donald Trump's mass pardon after accepting responsibility for their crimes.
Rioters imprisoned for their involvement in the attack were released, and judges began dismissing dozens of pending cases on Tuesday following Trump’s sweeping grant of clemency to all 1,500-plus individuals charged in the insurrection.
Trump’s executive order upended what had been the largest prosecution in Justice Department history, freeing individuals captured on camera brutally assaulting police officers as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of plotting violent efforts to halt the peaceful transfer of power after his election defeat.
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However, rioters Jason Riddle and Pamela Hemphill have declined the pardons, acknowledging in separate interviews the responsibility they shoulder for their respective participation in the attack.
Riddle of New Hampshire admitted to drinking stolen wine and taking a book on Senate procedure from the Capitol during the 2021 attack. At the time, he described himself as a Trump "obsessor" and said he was struggling with alcohol addiction. His probation required him to participate in alcohol treatment.
He said the following to local station WMUR 9:
"It was definitely — 100 percent warranted — getting arrested, [I'm] thankful I did. Good thing it didn't happen before my life was turned around. I'm grateful he couldn't pardon till now, because my life was terrible at the time of the riot."
"Just because the guy who started the riot said, 'It's OK,' it means absolutely nothing. It's very stupid. And, in fact, it's making it worse. Now, it's drawing attention to it."
"Capitol Police officers are dead. People have died, and, you know, more people are going to die if, you know, by feeding this lie and carrying on with the charade. Obviously, it sounds better to say that I'm a hero and a patriot who I would love to, you know, I would love to believe that, but I know it's not true."
71-year-old Hemphill—who became known as "MAGA Granny" following her participation in the insurrection—also denounced Trump's actions and expressed remorse.
After posting videos of herself entering the Capitol on January 6, Hemphill pleaded guilty in 2022 to a single misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol. In exchange, prosecutors dropped three additional misdemeanor charges. She was sentenced in federal court in Washington, D.C., to two months in jail, three years of probation, and a $500 fine.
She said:
"I had a choice. I'm not a victim. I could have left. ... They're lying about everything [the "Stop the Steal" movement] ... starting with Trump saying the election was stolen. That's where it all started. It wasn't stolen."
"Think about it: The message is if I took a pardon that what I did that day was okay. They were criminals. They broke the law, I broke the law. Paid the price."
You can hear her remarks in the video below.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
Hemphill, who said she is "making amends" by speaking out against those who've downplayed the events of that fateful day, also told The Idaho Statesman why she is rejecting the pardon:
“Accepting the pardon would be an insult to the Capitol Police officers, to the rule of law, to our nation. The J6 criminals are trying to rewrite history by saying that it was not a riot; it wasn’t an insurrection. I don’t want to be a part of their trying to rewrite what happened that day.”
She also acknowledged that she now believes the consequences she faced ultimately helped her escape a cult:
“I got my critical thinking back and started doing my own research, which I’m guilty of not doing back then because they gaslight you so much. It’s really weird when you come out of a cult. It’s like you look back and you go, what was I thinking?”
Many have praised Riddle and Hemphill for speaking out while condemning Trump's actions.
Defending the pardons on Tuesday, Trump stated that the defendants had "already served years in prison" under conditions he described as "disgusting" and "inhumane."
Eight days before the inauguration, Vice President-to-be JD Vance, echoing what he believed to be Trump’s mindset, told Fox News Sunday that individuals convicted of assaulting police during the January 6 Capitol attack should not receive clemency.
However, Axios reports, insiders revealed that Trump vacillated between granting targeted clemency and issuing a blanket pardon. As his team debated the approach while planning a slew of executive orders for Day 1, an adviser familiar with the discussions recounted that Trump ultimately dismissed the deliberations, declaring, “F**k it: Release ’em all.”
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