‘F*ck It: Release ‘Em All!’ White House Insiders Spill On Trump’s Blanket Jan. 6 Pardons to Axios

ESPN

White House insiders revealed that President Donald Trump’s sweeping pardon of 1,500 individuals connected to the January 6 Capitol riot was a last-minute decision by him amid internal debate.

Throughout the campaign, Trump had promised swift action on pardons, telling NBC’s Meet the Press on December 8 that he would move “very quickly” once in office. Initially, he suggested a case-by-case review but became concerned by time constraints and potential oversights.

While some within his camp debated a more selective approach, a White House source told Axios on Wednesday how, during internal discussions, the president came to favor one blanket gesture.

“Trump just said: ‘Fuck it: Release ’em all,’” one insider shared, according to Axios.

Axios pointed out that as recently as eight days before the inauguration, Vice President JD Vance took to Fox News Sunday to clarify Trump’s position, suggesting that those who committed violence against police officers should not be pardoned.

“If you committed violence that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned,” Vance asserted at the time. But as internal deliberations dragged on, Trump decided to cut through the noise, opting for an all-encompassing approach instead.

Throughout the campaign, Trump had promised he would move “very quickly” on pardons once in office.

Interestingly, Vance, despite his public stance just one week ago, Axios’s source also said the VP was now fully aligned with the final decision.

“Vance was 100% on board,” a Trump insider said. “The president didn’t change his mind. He just made up his mind and Vance got a little over his skis on Fox, but it’s no big deal.”

“Never get ahead of the boss,” another commented to the outlet.