Republicans are sucking as much as Donald Trump in one of the simplest ways they know the way: by being cowards.
The convicted felon has promised that when he takes workplace in January, he’ll pardon Jan. 6 insurrectionists and referred to as for lawmakers who investigated the tried coup to be punished. And GOP senators and Congress members, most of whom have been hunkered down within the Capitol on that horrible day, are lining as much as roll over for him.
“As we found from Hunter Biden, the president’s pardon authority is pretty extensive. That’s obviously a decision he’ll have to make,” incoming Senate Majority Chief John Thune instructed The Hill about Trump’s promised pardons.
Whereas he plans to let the rioters off scot-free, Trump lately instructed “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker that former Rep. Liz Cheney and different members of the Jan. 6 committee ought to “go to jail.”
“I don’t have a comment really on those statements,” Thune mentioned.
Thune’s timorous stance on pardoning the rioters was parroted by fellow Republican senators.
“We’ll see what he does. I mean it’s been four or five years [since the attack]. The ones that hurt cops, they’d be in a different category for me, but we’ll leave that up to him,” mentioned South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham.
Trump has repeatedly made false claims that the Jan. 6 committee destroyed proof that may exonerate him. He has additionally publicly fantasized about committee co-chair Cheney dealing with a firing squad, and Home Republicans together with Second Modification apologist Tim Burchett of Tennessee appear nice with Trump’s curiosity in political witch hunts.
“If they broke the law, then they should [be imprisoned],” Burchett instructed The Bulwark. “Now we know that they’ve manipulated evidence, so—if that’s the case, then absolutely.”
As at all times, some Republicans have been keen to reduce Trump’s threats.
“It was my understanding that he backed off that statement in a subsequent interview,” mentioned Maine Sen. Susan Collins. “So I don’t really think that there’s—since he’s backed off on it, I don’t think there’s really any need for me to comment on it.”
Different GOP leaders cheered Trump’s vendetta on—even when it means focusing on their very own colleagues.
“With politicians, if you’ve used a congressional committee and you’ve lied and tried to set people up and falsely imprisoned people, then you should be held accountable,” mentioned Rep. James Comer, who isn’t any stranger to utilizing Home committees and scant proof to assault political opponents.
“I haven’t kept up with the January 6th stuff like other people,” Comer instructed The Bulwark. “I don’t know exactly what Trump was referring to. But I have two years of experience working with one of the January 6th committee members, and I can tell you he’s been nothing but completely dishonest,” Comer mentioned, clearly referring to Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin.
Each traitorous revelation from the Jan. 6 committee hearings was terrifying. The practically 850-page last report by the Home Choose Committee to Examine the January sixth Assault on america Capitol illuminating—and damning.
Most voters oppose Trump’s plan to pardon convicted insurrectionists, however what most voters need has by no means been the Republican Get together’s bag.
