A woman who was incarcerated for her participation in the events of January 6 has openly criticized Donald Trump for issuing pardons, making a surprising statement.
Donald Trump, after being reinstated on January 20, took action to pardon more than 1,500 individuals involved in the Capitol Riots.
However, one woman chose to reject this pardon and voiced her disapproval of Trump’s decision.
Despite facing opposition from various quarters, the president justified his decision to pardon those convicted.
During a Tuesday press briefing at the White House, Trump stated: “These people have already served years in prison, and they’ve served them viciously.
“It’s a disgusting prison. It’s been horrible. It’s inhumane. It’s been a terrible, terrible thing.”
Pamela Hemphill, a 71-year-old woman, served a 60-day sentence after admitting guilt for her involvement in the 2021 riots.
Dubbed the ‘MAGA Granny’ on social media, she has since expressed her views following the news of the pardons.
Hemphill clarified her reason for declining her pardon, expressing disapproval of pardoning all January 6 rioters, not just her own case.
She stated: “We were wrong that day. We broke the law – there should be no pardons.”
Additionally, she asserted that accepting a pardon would dishonor Capitol police officers, the rule of law, and the country.
She even accused Trump of trying to alter history concerning the events of that day.
She added: “I pleaded guilty because I was guilty.
“Accepting a pardon would only contribute to their gaslighting and false narrative.”
When asked by a journalist about pardoning violent criminals involved in the riots, Trump gave an unclear response.
Daniel Joseph ‘DJ’ Rodriguez was involved in attacking officer Michael Fanone with a stun gun, leading to serious charges including felony conspiracy and bodily harm.
He received a sentence exceeding 12 years for his actions.
During a White House press event, a reporter questioned Trump: “You would agree it’s never acceptable to assault a police officer?”
In a video shared by Forbes, Trump replied: “Sure.”
The journalist continued: “So then if I can, among those you pardon, DJ Rodriguez he drove a stun gun into the neck of a DC police officer who was abducted by the mob that day.
“He later confessed on video to the FBI and pleaded guilty for his crimes – why does he deserve a pardon?”
Trump initially responded: “Well, I don’t know, was it a pardon? Because we’re looking at commutes and we’re looking at pardons.”
Upon being informed that Rodriguez was pardoned, Trump said: “OK, well, we’ll take a look at everything but I can say this, murderers today are not even charged, you have murderers that aren’t charged all over.”