House Republican Rips Trump’s ‘Unacceptable’ Pardons of Violent J6 Convicts: ‘We Have To Support Our Law Enforcement’
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) criticized President Donald Trump over his pardons of criminals convicted of assaulting police officers during the Capitol riot.
Upon being sworn into office on Monday, Trump issued pardons for over 1,500 defendants and prisoners stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 riot. He also commuted the sentences of eight others. Some of those individuals were convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers.
Malliotakis appeared on Tuesday’s CNN News Central, where Boris Sanchez asked the lawmaker for her reaction.
“About four years ago, after being moved to a secure location by Capitol Police, you tweeted in part, quote, ‘Everyone who is responsible for this violence and lawlessness must stop. This is absolutely unacceptable and un-American,'” he said, reading her four-year-old tweet. “Do you think President Trump did the right thing by pardoning rioters who assaulted police officers?”
“Well, I do have an issue with those who assaulted police officers,” she responded. “And I think that those do need to serve the time. That is unacceptable. I’ve always sided with our police officers in saying that any assault or cop killers… should never be released. In fact, I very much disagree with what President Biden has done with actually commuting the sentences of multiple cop killers and people who killed FBI agents and service members as well.”
Malliotakis said that she believed some of the defendants had been treated unfairly, “But the people who assaulted our police officers do need to pay the consequence for that.”
“I do wonder what your message would be to those Capitol Hill police officers who were injured and assaulted defending fellow Republicans who now are defending these pardons?” Sanchez followed up.
“Well, look, I can only speak for myself,” she replied. “And certainly I stand with our Capitol Police and all our law enforcement. I’m very proud to be one of the few individuals here in Congress that actually in the past has received the endorsement of the Capitol Police union, and we have to support our law enforcement. We need to hold those who injure them and kill them accountable.”
Watch above via CNN.
