“Trump Press Secretary Fires Back at Jan. 6 Pardon Criticism: ‘Not Causing Much Controversy’”
The new White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, defended President Donald Trump’s pardons of Jan. 6 defendants during an appearance on Fox & Friends on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, after being sworn in, Trump pardoned over 1,600 people charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot. This riot happened when Trump supporters, believing false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, stormed the Capitol and attacked law enforcement protecting the building and officials inside.
The pardons sparked outrage from both Democrats and Republicans, with many criticizing the decision.
During her first appearance on Fox News as press secretary, Leavitt was first asked about former President Joe Biden’s pardons of his family members. She criticized Biden, saying, “Yesterday’s pardons prove he knew they were guilty and wanted to protect them before leaving office. But President Trump is focused on restoring law and order and ending the misuse of justice under the Biden-Harris administration.”
The host, Brian Kilmeade, then asked about the Jan. 6 pardons, saying, “How does this fit with President Trump’s decision to pardon all the Jan. 6 offenders, which is causing controversy this morning?”
Leavitt downplayed the criticism, saying, “It’s not causing much controversy. President Trump promised this during his campaign, so it’s no surprise he delivered on day one. Many of these people were denied due process and unfairly targeted by the Biden Department of Justice, while real criminals, including violent offenders and illegal migrants, were ignored.”
She added, “President Trump took historic steps yesterday to secure the border and begin the largest deportation operation in history. He is restoring trust in our justice system, while Joe Biden pardoned his own family on his way out.”
Before this discussion, Trump’s pardons of even the most violent Jan. 6 rioters had barely been mentioned on Fox & Friends. The show, which started at 5 a.m. as part of special inauguration coverage, only briefly mentioned the topic in a report by Jacqui Heinrich during the 7 a.m. hour.
