Vice President-elect JD Vance recently stated that President-elect Donald Trump will issue pardons for those who peacefully protested on January 6, 2021, but not for those involved in violent acts.
Vance emphasized that many individuals “were prosecuted unfairly” following the events of January 6, which included the storming of the Capitol, and that the Trump administration is committed to “rectifying that.”
“If you protested peacefully on January the 6th, and you’ve had Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned,” Vance, 40, said in an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” outlining the line Trump intends to draw.
“If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned. And there’s a little bit of a gray area there. But we’re very much committed to seeing the equal administration of law.”
In response to criticism of his remarks, Vance defended his position, with some suggesting he had “walked back” his promise to pardon those involved in the Capitol riot.
“The president saying he’ll look at each case (and me saying the same) is not some walkback,” he posted on X, addressing the backlash.
Trump has long suggested he might grant clemency to some of those charged after the Capitol riot but has clarified that his administration would review each case individually. Since the events of January 6, over 1,500 people have been charged, with nearly 1,300 convicted and more than 1,100 sentenced, according to an Associated Press tracker. Only two individuals were acquitted. Most of the charges were related to unlawful parading, entering restricted areas, and disorderly conduct, though there were at least 238 charges involving assault and 86 involving physical violence.
Vance also shared his thoughts on the ongoing wildfire crisis in California, expressing deep concern over the devastation in Los Angeles County. He noted that he is “heartbroken” by the destruction but also pointed to a “serious lack of competent governance” as a major factor in the severity of the fires.
“Some of these reservoirs have been dry for 15, 20 years. The fire hydrants are being reported as going dry while the firefighters are trying to put out these fires,” Vance told “Fox News Sunday.”
“There is a serious lack of competent governance in California. And I think it’s part of the reason why these fires have gotten so bad. We need to do a better job at both the state and federal level.”
Both Vance and Trump, 78, have been outspoken about California’s response to the wildfires, criticizing what they see as a failure to adequately prepare for such disasters. Trump has accused officials of neglecting forest management, particularly the need to clear dry wood, and not having enough water resources available to deal with wildfires in a state prone to such conditions.
“President Trump cares about all Americans,” Vance said. “I think that he intends to have FEMA and other federal responses much, much better and much more clued into what’s going on there on the ground.”
“President Trump often says that the coalition that made him the president was just a common-sense coalition,” Vance continued. “The thing that united us is just this basic idea that, yes, government should be smaller but when government does the things that it should do, it ought to do them well.”
Trump has previously voiced similar criticisms of California’s wildfire management, particularly during his first term, when wildfires were a significant issue. Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and other California officials have expressed concern that Trump might use federal aid to extract political concessions from the state.
Vance affirmed that Trump is committed to helping California recover from the wildfires, which have resulted in the deaths of at least 16 people and the destruction of over 12,300 homes.
“President Trump is committed to doing a better job when it comes to disaster relief. That’s true for the hurricane victims and flood victims in North Carolina. It’s true for the fire victims in California,” he stressed. “That doesn’t mean you can’t criticize the governor of California for, I think, some very bad decisions.”
Newsom has called for an independent investigation into the dry fire hydrants that hampered firefighting efforts and promised reforms in response.
Vance also responded to concerns about Trump potentially using military force to take control of the Panama Canal or Greenland. Trump has already ruled out military action against Canada but has left the possibility open for the other two locations.
“We don’t have to use military force,” Vance argued. “The thing that people always ignore is we have already troops in Greenland. … The people Greenland want to be empowered to develop the resources there.”
Greenland, a vast, sparsely populated island with about 57,000 residents, is currently a territory of Denmark.
“We also need to make sure that Greenland is properly cared for from an American security perspective. And frankly, the current leadership, the Danish government has not done a good enough job of securing Greenland,” Vance said.
“There actually is a real opportunity here for us to take leadership to protect America’s security, to ensure that those incredible natural resources are developed.”
Leaders in Greenland, Denmark, Panama, and Canada have strongly opposed Trump’s ideas regarding annexation. Trump has previously spoken about using “economic force” against Canada and imposed tariffs on Denmark. Both countries are NATO allies.
{Matzav.com}