President Donald Trump's mass pardon of Jan. 6 rioters, many of whom assaulted police officers defending the U.S. Capitol, has provoked a furious response from the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) on Tuesday.
The FOP, the nation's largest police union, endorsed Trump in 2024 and in his previous two campaigns, declaring even after the 2021 insurrection that it was "clear he supported law enforcement and border security."
But on Tuesday, the FOP signed on to a a joint statement denouncing both Trump and former President Joe Biden's pardons of individuals convicted of killing or assaulting law enforcement officers, saying that "allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families."
"When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence," the statement continued.
While the statement did not refer to any specific pardons, the only pardons Trump has issued since entering office for his second term was an executive order granting a "full, complete and unconditional pardon" to around 1,500 participants of the insurrection, including leaders of far-right extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers convicted with seditious conspiracy.
Read more
about the rule of law
Shares