Federal judges have strongly rebuked new US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s sweeping pardons for US Capitol rioters, emphasizing the gravity of the January 6, 2021, attack.
District Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed charges against a Capitol riot defendant but asserted, &ldquo;No pardon can change the tragic truth of January 6.&rdquo;
She added, &ldquo;It cannot whitewash the blood, feces, and terror left in its wake or repair the breach in America&rsquo;s tradition of peaceful power transitions.&rdquo;
The case was dismissed after Trump returned to office following his November election victory, aligning with the Department of Justice policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents.&nbsp;
Shortly after taking charge, President Trump granted over 1,500 pardons, including to 14 members of the far-right &lsquo;Proud Boys and Oath Keepers&rsquo; milita.
District Judge Beryl Howell criticized the dismissal of charges, stating that the Trump White House&rsquo;s claim of a &ldquo;grave national injustice&rdquo; lacked factual basis. &ldquo;No &lsquo;national injustice&rsquo; occurred, just as no outcome-determinative election fraud happened in 2020,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;
Howell warned that allowing such actions &ldquo;raises the specter of future lawlessness&rdquo; and undermines the rule of law.
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotel stressed that pardons &ldquo;will not change the truth of what happened on January 6,&rdquo; which is preserved through videos, trial transcripts, and judicial records. &ldquo;Those records are immutable and represent the truth, no matter how the events are described by those charged or their allies,&rdquo; she noted.
Meanwhile, downplaying the Capitol violence, Trump has referred to it as a &ldquo;day of love.&rdquo; The attack injured over 140 police officers and was fuelled by Trump&rsquo;s repeated claims of election fraud.&nbsp;
In a speech to supporters near the White House, Trump had urged the crowd to march on Congress, triggering the violent assault.
&nbsp;

Trump supporters and police personnel at the US Capitol on Jan 06, 2021

Say it cannot whitewash the blood, terror of 2021 violence, while dismissing case

Judges Condemn Trump Pardons for Capitol Rioters

Say it cannot whitewash the blood, terror of 2021 violence, while dismissing case

January 23, 2025 | 19:55 IST