Pardons, Part II: Trump’s Playbook for Chaos

Rewarding Violence, Undermining Justice

Today I feel compelled to address Trump’s latest travesty in another essay.  The contrast between Joe Biden’s preemptive pardons and Donald Trump’s decision to pardon most of the January 6 criminals couldn’t be more telling about the character and motivations of each man. In yesterday’s piece, I discussed how Biden’s actions were grounded in the necessity of protecting dedicated public servants from the potential retribution of a vengeful maniac.

To pardon those who stormed the Capitol, assaulted law enforcement officers, and sought to overturn the democratic process is to pardon traitors. These are not individuals who acted in ignorance or out of misguided loyalty. They are criminals who, in many cases, boasted about their actions and continue to express no remorse. They shattered windows, smeared blood and shit on the walls of the Capitol, and desecrated a sacred symbol of democracy. And yet, Trump has rewarded them, signaling that loyalty to him overrides any commitment to law, order, or the country itself.

This act is a betrayal not just of the American people but of the very law enforcement officers Trump claims to support. On January 6, dozens of police officers were injured defending the Capitol. Some suffered life-altering injuries; others, including Officer Brian Sicknick, lost their lives in the aftermath. To pardon their attackers is to spit in the face of every officer who wears the badge, to shatter any pretense of “backing the blue.” What sane law enforcement officer would be okay with that shit?

But Trump’s pardons are not just despicable—they are calculated. By granting clemency to those who participated in the insurrection, Trump is cultivating a personal army of thugs. These pardoned individuals have been told in no uncertain terms that violence in Trump’s name is not only acceptable but rewarded. The parallels to Hitler’s use of the Brownshirts are chilling. Like the Brownshirts, these individuals have become tools of a demagogue, ready to intimidate and brutalize opponents at his command.

What about the precedent it sets? It says that loyalty to a leader—not the Constitution, not the rule of law—is what matters. It says that violence can be excused if it serves a political end. It undermines the foundations of justice and opens the door to more chaos and authoritarianism.

Trump’s actions should outrage every American. This is not about partisan politics; it is about the survival of democracy. Trump’s allegiance has never been to America or its ideals but to himself, and it’s why his MAGA cultists cheer him on. They’re fine with the pardons because many of them are felons, aspiring felons, or just one step removed.

Let’s heed this warning and demand accountability, truth, and justice. A quote often attributed to Edmund Burke reminds us, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” This affront must not stand.

I’m outraged. I’m pissed off. I hope you are, too.

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