Public Citizen Condemns January 6 Attack Ahead of Possible Pardons

It’s been four years since a mob of MAGA extremists attacked the U.S. Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from then-President Donald Trump to then-President-elect Joe Biden.

Public Citizen Co-Presidents Lisa Gilbert and Robert Weissman issued the following statements:

“January 6th was a devastating attack on our nation's democracy, " said Gilbert. “President-elect Donald Trump has once again showed us his disregard for the rule of law as he signals his eagerness to pardon the criminals responsible for the deadly insurrection. The incoming administration believes that their word trumps historical facts. A potential flurry of pardons of January 6 attackers would be an affront to our democracy and a blatant rewrite of history. Attempting to overturn an election through violence should neither be celebrated nor pardoned. We condemn former and future President Trump's commitment to a corrupted justice system.”

“Political violence is a hallmark of authoritarianism and a direct threat to a functioning democracy,” said Weissman. “The January 6 perpetrators – including Donald Trump – should be shunned, not celebrated; punished, not pardoned.”