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Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) comically dodged ABC News congressional correspondent Jay O’Brien as he pressed the GOP lawmaker on President Donald Trump’s pardon of January 6 convicts who assaulted police.
The media spent most of Monday covering every moment of Trump’s inauguration to a second term, but one event overshadowed nearly everything else that came before and after it — Trump’s pardons and commutations for the January 6 defendants, including those who committed violence against police.
The move drew widespread and bipartisan condemnation — and awkward deflection from many GOP officials.
On Tuesday’s edition of ABC News Live, O’Brien told anchor Diane Macedo that Republicans have been dodging him all day, with some even claiming not to have seen video of the rioters attacking police.
He played a hallway exchange with Scott in which the senator professed not to have even seen the pardons:
DIANE MACEDO: At least two convicted January 6th rioters have already been released. The other 1500 pardoned writers are expected to be released immediately, essentially. What are you hearing from lawmakers about that?
JAY O’BRIEN: Yeah, this part it was so sweeping, Dianne, that it covers those who were convicted of violence against police officers, brutalizing police officers. One officer lost an eye that day. 140 police officers were injured on January 6th, according to the Department of Justice. So we’ve been pressing lawmakers what is their message to the Capitol Police who protect them every day, who had some of their colleagues, some of them themselves beaten by rioters who have now been pardoned by President Donald Trump. Some of those lawmakers have said they haven’t seen that video of Capitol Police officers being abused. I’ve heard that from some. My colleague Rachel Scott has as well. Here’s what Senator Rick Scott of Florida, a close Trump ally, just told me moments ago.
(VIDEO CLIP)
JAY O’BRIEN: Senator Scott, what do you make of the President pardoning–.
SEN. RICK SCOTT: I haven’t seen all of it but clearly– First off, so many people were unfairly prosecuted–
JAY O’BRIEN: What about those that assaulted police officers?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: I don’t believe anybody– if you violate the law, you should be prosecuted.
JAY O’BRIEN: But what about those who assaulted police officers and then were pardoned by the president?
SEN. RICK SCOTT: I haven’t seen any– I haven’t haven’t gone into the detail.
JAY O’BRIEN: But there are– those pardons that exist.
SEN. RICK SCOTT: I have to read it.
Watch above via ABC News Live.
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