Attorney General Pam Bondi has publicly rejected claims that President Donald Trump’s pardons for many of the rioters involved in the January 6 Capitol attack create a double standard when compared to the administration’s crackdown on violence during immigration protests in California.
In a recent on-camera exchange with reporters at the White House, Bondi stated, “Well, this is very different. These are people out there hurting people in California right now. This is ongoing.”
Her comments come after California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the Trump administration for their actions and labeled them inconsistent. Newsom remarked, “Trump, he’s not opposed to lawlessness and violence, as long as it serves him. What more evidence do we need than Jan. 6?”
The reactions from leaders on both sides highlight a growing narrative about perceived inequalities in how different types of violence are addressed by the administration.
Social media has seen a wave of mockery directed at Trump and his officials regarding the administration’s attempts to draw attention to assaults on law enforcement in California, particularly in light of the violence police faced during the January 6 riot at the Capitol.
More than 140 officers were injured during that infamous day, suffering attacks with objects such as baseball bats, hockey sticks, rocks, and even an American flag.
Trump’s pardons have extended to nearly all of the 1,600 individuals charged in relation to the Capitol assault, including over 450 who were charged with assaulting or obstructing law enforcement officers—300 of whom still had cases pending at the time of the pardons.
Prior to Trump’s inauguration, a significant dismantling of the Department of Justice’s investigation into the January 6 events halted inquiries into about 60 individuals suspected of assaulting police officers during the riot, as indicated by statistics released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington.
During Bondi’s confirmation hearing ahead of Inauguration Day, she indicated that she believed pardons for January 6 defendants should be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis, emphasizing her opposition to pardons for individuals accused of violence against law enforcement.
She made a strong declaration during that hearing, stating, “Let me be very clear in speaking to you: I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country.”
However, since then, Bondi has been quiet about Trump’s pardons.
Notably, during his confirmation hearing, FBI Director Kash Patel distanced himself from Trump’s decisions regarding pardons for violent offenders involved in the January 6 incident, asserting, “I have always rejected any violence against law enforcement… I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement.”
In her recent remarks, Bondi skillfully sidestepped questions regarding the legal requirements for invoking the Insurrection Act.
Instead, she highlighted what she termed improved conditions on the ground in California, suggesting that this state of affairs does not warrant aggressive governmental intervention.
“Right now in California, we’re at a good point,” Bondi remarked. “We’re not scared to go further. We’re not frightened to do something else if we need to.”
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