Vice President-elect JD Vance appeared to walk back President-elect Donald Trump’s promises of near-blanket pardons for January 6 rioters in a Sunday interview.
Vance, on Fox News Sunday, said the “very simple” process would mean pardons for those who protested peacefully and who he claimed were “treated like a gang member” by Attorney General Merrick Garland. But for those convicted of violent crimes, including assaulting Capitol police officers, “obviously, you shouldn’t be pardoned.”
“There’s a little bit of a gray area there, but we’re very much committed to seeing the equal administration of law, and there are a lot of people, we think, in the wake of January 6 who were prosecuted unfairly,” Vance said.
Vance’s comments differed from Trump’s, who has promised sweeping pardons on “day one″ of his administration for anyone involved many of the rioters. Trump told Meet the Press last month that he would issue the pardons “most likely” upon taking office, noting there “may be some exceptions” and he would look at individual cases.
“Those people have suffered long and hard,” he said.
More than 1,250 people were convicted or pleaded guilty for their role in the Capitol riot, with charges ranging from trespassing to seditious conspiracy. Several rioters sought to attack top-elected officials, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi and then-Vice President Mike Pence.
Some Republican lawmakers have urged Trump to issue pardons for all January 6 rioters. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a close Trump ally, told the Associated Press last week that those imprisoned over the attacks—regardless of their crime—should be released.
“Even the ones that fought Capitol Police, caused damage to the Capitol, I think they’ve served their time, and I think they should all be pardoned and released from prison,” Greene said.
