Former President Trump’s promise to grant pardons to the rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, should he be re-elected, is running into strong opposition from Senate Republicans, the Hill reports. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), one of Trump’s closest allies, called granting pardons to Jan. 6 protesters “a bad idea.” “Pardons are given to people who admit misconduct, rehabilitate themselves. They’re not supposed to be used for other purposes,” he said. Senate Republican Whip John Thune (SD) said people who committed crimes on Jan. 6 must face the consequences of their actions.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), who voted last year to impeach Trump on the charge of inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6, said pardoning people who invaded the Capitol to stop Biden’s election would be wrong. Not every Republican is quick to dismiss the idea of a pardon. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) who raised a fist to protestors outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, before he and other members of Congress were evacuated during the insurrection, is more open to the idea of granting leniency to pro-Trump protesters.