In Dueling Pardons, an Intensified Fight Over the Meaning of Jan. 6
The dueling pardons issued Monday by the outgoing and incoming presidents were the latest and perhaps clearest reminders of how Donald J.Trump’s efforts to rewrite the history of the Jan.
6, 2021, assault on the Capitol have gradually worn down the consensus that the riot marked one of American democracy’s darkest days.There has never been any doubt about who was responsible for the violence: Mr.Trump’s supporters attacked the building, fought police and ransacked offices as they attempted to block the certification of Joseph R.
Biden Jr.’s 2020 victory.Republicans and Democrats alike condemned the violence and Mr.
Trump’s role in summoning an angry crowd to Washington.But four years later, many Americans now view the events of Jan.6 as a choose-your-own-reality narrative.
Depending on one’s politics, heroes and villains have become interchangeable.Those who investigated the attack could be either truth-tellers or corrupt partisans.
Those who attacked the Capitol and were jailed could be either criminals or “hostages.”Now each side has its own set of pardons to bolster its case.By pardoning those charged in connection with the Capitol assault, Mr.Trump made clear he was erasing their crimes and endorsing the narrative they had been victimized by an overzealous and politicized Justice Department.By pardoning the members of the House Jan.
6 Committee, which investigated the attack, and the injured officers who testified before the panel, Mr.Biden provided them protection against any politicized prosecution.
But he also gave ammunition to those who believe the panel committed crimes.After all, why would they need pardons if they did nothing wrong?We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
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