Former Vice President Mike Pence made it clear on Wednesday that he had no intention of granting pardons to individuals convicted for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
During a CNN town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, Pence emphasized his stance, stating that he had issued a tweet on the day of the attack, urging people to leave the Capitol and put an end to the violence. He firmly believed that those who failed to comply should face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law, and he still holds that belief today.
“On the day of Jan. 6, I issued a tweet demanding that people leave the Capitol and end the violence,” he said, adding that “I said that those that failed to do that should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and I continue to believe that today.”
The former vice president expressed his commitment to preventing any recurrence of the events that took place on January 6 in the heart of American democracy.
He maintained that he would support the decisions made through due process in court and the application of existing laws. Pence clarified that he had no interest or intention of pardoning individuals who had assaulted police officers or vandalized the Capitol, emphasizing the importance of holding them accountable under the law.
“We cannot ever allow what happened on Jan. 6 to happen again in the heart of our democracy, I’ll stand by the decisions and the due process of court in our laws. I have no interest or no intention of pardoning those that assaulted police officers or vandalized our Capitol. They need to be answerable to the law,” he added.
Pence’s position starkly contrasts with that of his former boss, former President Donald Trump. In a previous CNN town hall, Trump had pledged that he was inclined to grant pardons to many of the rioters involved in the January 6 incident.
Another potential 2024 Republican presidential nominee, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, had also hinted at considering pardons for defendants related to January 6, including Trump himself, if he were to be elected.
According to NPR, the aftermath of the January 6 attack has resulted in the arrest of over 1,000 individuals on various charges. Among them, more than 500 have already pleaded guilty, and over 400 have been sentenced.
