When President Trump returned to office, he pardoned about 1,500 Jan. 6 offenders. Since then, many of them have been charged with new crimes, including assault and child abuse. As the midterm elections approach, the Times editorial board argues that the Republican Party should pay a political price for prioritizing loyalty over public safety.
This Is Andrew Paul Johnson, sentenced to life in prison on March 5 for molesting two children. Jake Lang was charged with felony vandalism and organized an anti-Muslim rally that became violent. And this is the president of the United States, who claims he is "your president of law and order" that was going to "put dangerous offenders behind bars." But here's the thing: Andrew Paul Johnson and Jake Lang had been behind bars for their roles in the Jan. 6 riots. When Trump returned to office and pardoned them, along with about 1,500 other Jan. 6 rioters, they walked free. These two represent an ugly truth. Trump has been on a pardon spree, and it's putting American lives in danger. "She's worried about her own safety now and the safety of others." This is the opinion of The New York Times's editorial board.
Article II of the Constitution grants sweeping pardon powers to the president. But presidents haven't always wielded them to the degree that Trump has. Historically, public opinion was a significant check on the pardon power. Presidents typically granted their pardons sparingly at the end of their term to avoid public backlash in case, you know, they were pardoning someone in their family or a close political ally. But this restraint and discernment is gone under President Trump's second term, and the consequences have been catastrophic.
Thanks to President Trump, Ross Ulbricht, who was serving a life sentence for running an online criminal marketplace, is now free. So is the former president of Honduras who helped traffic cocaine into the United States. And on the first day of his second term, every single Jan. 6 rioter was granted clemency. About 1,500 of them.
And Johnson and Lang aren't the only rioters who have been charged with serious crimes since Trump pardoned them. Zachary Alam was charged with burglary after stealing jewelry and a tablet. Bryan Betancur was charged with assault and battery after grabbing a woman's hair. Christopher Moynihan was charged with harassment after threatening to kill Hakeem Jeffries. John Andries repeatedly followed the mother of his child despite a legal order telling him to stay away. Brent Holdridge was arrested for stealing tens of thousands of dollars' worth of industrial copper wire. And Daniel Tocci was found guilty of possessing over 100,000 child sexual abuse images.
This is the kind of danger President Trump has unleashed back into society.
These pardons weren't just dangerous; they were also deeply unjust. After the Jan. 6 riots, police officers died by stroke and by suicide. But to this day, President Trump continues to take the side of rioters -- -- "These people have served years of jail, and their lives have been ruined" -- -- with the support of many Republicans.
"And, you know, I'll be the first member of Congress to offer them a guided tour in the Capitol."
"The president has made his decision. I don't second-guess those."
Trump and the Republican Party he leads deserve to pay a political price for these pardons. The American people have a way to do that: The 2026 midterms.