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In today’s issue, we take a closer look at party members’ reactions to the sweeping pardons for defendants on January 6th. Additionally, Steve Kornacki provides a historical look at the current position of J.D. Vance, from vice president to president unable to seek another term.
— Adam Wallner
President Trump’s January 6th pardon divides Republican Party
Of all the executive orders President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office, the one that resonated most across Washington was his move to pardon the January 6 rioters.
In one stroke, President Trump granted pardons to nearly 1,500 criminal defendants and commuted the sentences of 14 others in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He also ordered the dismissal of hundreds of cases that are still pending.
Scott Wong, Frank Thorpe V, Kate Santaris and Katie Taylor report that the Jan. 6 pardon drew pushback from a small number of Republican senators. They quickly found themselves back in the position they often found themselves in years ago, reacting to President Trump’s latest actions and comments.
Responses were generally categorized into four groups.
There, some people were openly critical of the Jan. 6 pardon, particularly for people convicted of violence against police officers. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she was “disappointed” by President Trump’s actions and concerned about the message he sent to the officers who protected the Capitol that day.
Sen. Thom Tillis, RN.C., said he “totally disagrees” with President Trump’s pardon.
Although they did not loudly criticize President Trump, some refused to support the decision. “The president made that decision. You have to ask him. I won’t defend it,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, RS.D.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) said if he were president, he would not have pardoned those who committed the violence on January 6, but Trump fulfilled his campaign promise. he added.
Some tried to ignore the question and shift the focus to Joe Biden’s decision to pardon the family in his final moments as president.
“We’re looking forward to the next four years, not the last four years,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said when asked about President Trump’s decision.
“Why don’t you all ask Biden the same question?” Thune said when asked what message he would send to the police officers who were attacked that day.
And some celebrated the pardon. Some members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, including Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), traveled to the Washington prison where inmates will be released on January 6th. Ta.
What President Trump said: At a news conference Tuesday, Trump defended the Jan. 6 pardon, Catherine Doyle reported.
“They’ve served years in prison,” Trump said in response to a question from reporters at the White House about why he pardoned violent criminals. “They should not have served time, but they have served years in prison. And in this country, murderers don’t even go to prison.”
Current and former prosecutors say: Justice Department officials and legal scholars call the move an unprecedented and dangerous use of pardon power that has dealt a devastating blow not only to federal law enforcement but also to the U.S. judicial system. (Ken) Dilanian and Ryan J. Riley report.
“I don’t think that’s the case,” Jason Manning, who spent years in Washington as the front-line prosecutor on the January 6 case, told NBC News in an exclusive interview. “I think the pardon is appalling.”
What you need to know from Day 2 of President Trump’s inauguration
Beyond the aftermath of the January 6th pardon, the second day of President Trump’s term brought another flurry of news. The top line is:
President Trump announced a joint venture with OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank to invest billions of dollars in America’s artificial intelligence infrastructure. President Trump met with congressional Republicans at the White House to discuss legislative strategy and the possibility of using recess appointments for confirmation. Cabinet candidate. Democratic attorneys general have filed a lawsuit seeking to block President Trump’s attempt to strip people of their automatic birthright citizenship. This is one of several administrative actions likely to face pushback from the courts. NBC News reports the new administration says the Department of Homeland Security will prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from making arrests in “sensitive locations” such as schools, churches and daycare centers, even during weddings and funerals. It was announced that the restrictions that had been in effect would be lifted. The Trump administration has fired four executives from the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Review, which oversees U.S. immigration courts. The bishop, who led Tuesday’s inaugural prayer service, called on President Trump to “extend mercy” to voters, specifically naming LGBTQ people and immigrants.
Mr. Vance will take on a unique role in his second term as Vice President.
When J.D. Vance was sworn in Monday, he immediately assumed a unique position in the political arena as vice president to a term-limited president.
Rather than wait eight years (and spend the next four promoting his boss’ re-election efforts), Vance enters office with a good chance of winning the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. This is a position that has been held by six vice presidents since the enactment of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which limits presidential terms to two terms.
All but one of these six men had presidential ambitions of their own, but only three actually won their party’s next nomination: George H. There was only one, W. Bush.
Vance’s two most recent vice presidents both declined to run. With Dick Cheney, there was no drama. He vowed to abandon any presidential ambitions in exchange for a highly influential role in George W. Bush’s administration. In 2016, Joe Biden made his desire to run clear, but relented in the face of subtle discouragement from Barack Obama and other Democratic leaders.
And all the way back in 1952, Alben Berkeley, chosen as Harry Truman’s vice presidential candidate in 1948 (three years after Truman became president), argued that consensus-building at the party convention was the primary process. Instead, he aimed to win the Democratic Party’s nomination at a time when consensus-building at party conventions was important. —That was decisive. But concerns about his age, 74, caused attendees to look elsewhere.
The other three vice presidents on the list entered office with clear ambitions. Both Richard Nixon in 1960 and Al Gore in 2000 served in populist governments and had strong relationships with party leaders who helped pave the way. George H.W. Bush was also part of a popular administration in 1988, but although ultimately successful, his path to the Republican nomination was more difficult. He ran against Ronald Reagan in the 1980 primary and spent his time as vice president trying to convince skeptical conservatives that he was no longer the moderate he had positioned himself to be on the campaign trail.
There’s no reason to think Mr. Vance isn’t interested in becoming the party’s next standard-bearer. And he starts from a seemingly solid position. He has excellent communication skills and his performance during the campaign was well received within the Republican Party. More importantly, he is a Trump supporter and has personal ties to the president’s sons. And Trump himself appears to have feelings for Vance that he never expressed toward former Vice President Mike Pence.
Given Trump’s unparalleled influence over the Republican Party, it’s possible that Trump’s blessing could seamlessly elevate Vance to the top 2028 Republican nomination. It’s also conceivable that at some point in the next four years, Mr. Vance will look up and find his path irrevocably blocked by Mr. Trump’s changing view of him. .
🗞️ More top news today
➡️ First on NBC News: Senators received an affidavit from Defense Secretary candidate Pete Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, in which she says his actions made his second wife fear for her safety. states that. Continue reading → ⛔ No dice: A federal judge has barred the Justice Department from sharing former special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on the classified documents case against Trump with members of Congress. Continue reading → 👀 Abortion Policy: Doug Collins, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, said during his confirmation hearing that he has provided veterans with access to abortion care and counseling, including in states with abortion restrictions. He said he intends to review policies from the Biden administration. . Continue reading → 📱 In the Metaverse: Meta is pushing back against claims that it backed President Trump and his administration on the platform as he returns to the Oval Office. Continue reading → 🐾 Watch out for DOGE: James Fishback, investment firm CEO and external advisor to the Department of Government Efficiency, throws his hat into the ring to fill the void left by Vivek Ramaswami’s departure he said. Read more →
That’s all from the political desk for now. Today’s newsletter was edited by Adam Wolner and Faith Wardwell.
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