One of Capitol rioters convicted refuses Trump's pardon
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump pardoned around 1,500 participants of the January 6 riot. However, one of them refused, calling it a disrespect to the rule of law, according to Sky News.
Former Trump supporter Pamela Hemphill, who was involved in the Capitol attack, stated that she would decline the President's pardon, as it would be a "slap in the face to the rule of law."
Hemphill, who was sentenced to 60 days in prison, explained that she had been part of what she now calls the MAGA cult.
"That would be a slap in the face to the rule of law, the Capitol police officers and to our nation," she said.
She added that she did not want to be part of attempts to rewrite the events of January 6, which she considers an uprising, and admitted her guilt for her involvement.
She further stated that at the time, she did not realize she was part of the cult and described Trump as a "dangerous narcissist" who propagated the "big lie that the election was stolen".
"But when you're in the MAGA cult, they gaslight you so much and tell you not to listen to anybody but Trump. Later, I found out all of this has been nothing but propaganda and lies and that Trump truly is a dangerous narcissist," she said.
In response to reports that some pardoned individuals would be invited to the White House, she called it a "nightmare" and personally expressed that she would prefer to be invited to Congress to tell "what really happened" on the day of the riot.
Capitol riot case
On January 6, 2021, the US Congress was going to approve the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden, a Democratic Party representative, was declared the winner.
That day, thousands of Donald Trump's supporters gathered for a rally near the Capitol building, which escalated into riots. Some protesters broke through police lines, attacked the Capitol, and clashed with security, resulting in the deaths of five individuals.
In July 2023, the US Department of Justice charged Trump with three counts related to the Capitol riot. By November, a court sentenced a former State Department employee involved in the attack on Congress to five years in prison.
Pardoning of the rioters
Yesterday, Trump pardoned his supporters who attacked the Capitol in 2021.
RBC-Ukraine explained why this decision was a surprise even to Trump's team.
