On his first day back in office, Trump pardoned the people who attacked the Capitol to stop the certification of an election he lost. Not a few disputed cases — sweeping clemency for most January 6 defendants, sentence commutations for 14 others, and orders to dismiss pending cases and release prisoners immediately.
Let that sink in. People who beat cops, smashed windows, and tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power got pardoned. On day one. Before he did anything else.
This wasn’t mercy. It was a message: if you commit violence in my name, I will protect you. That’s not how a democracy is supposed to work. That’s how it starts to break.
Sources: White House proclamation | AP report