Sen. Lindsey Graham says Trump pardoning violent Jan. 6 defendants was ‘a mistake'

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sunday said he believes it was “a mistake” for President Donald Trump to pardon those who were convicted of violent crimes or pleaded guilty to committing violent crimes during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

“Pardoning the people who went into the Capitol and beat up a police officer violently I think was a mistake, because it seems to suggest that’s an OK thing to do,” Graham told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”

Graham tied Trump’s decision to pardon violent offenders with former President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon several of his family members during his last few hours in office last week.

“You know, Biden pardoned half his family going out the door. I think most Americans, if this continues … will revisit the pardon power of the president, if this continues,” Graham told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker.

He added, “As to pardoning violent people who beat up cops, I think that’s a mistake.”

Later in the program, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., agreed with Graham, telling Welker that, Biden “was wrong to give these pardons.”

He added, “What it says now to the Trump family and to President Trump’s kids: they can engage in any kind of malfeasance, criminality, graft, whatever, and they can expect a pardon on the way out the door. That is not a message you want to send to this family, or really any family occupying the White House.”

On Monday, just hours after he was sworn in to a second term, Trump used his presidential pardon power to pardon roughly 1,500 of his supporters who pleaded guilty or were convicted for their actions on Jan. 6, fulfilling one of his most oft-repeated campaign promises.

His pardons included those who were found guilty of or pleaded guilty to committing violent crimes on a day when over 140 police officers were injured.

Still, Graham emphasized that Trump’s decision to pardon his supporters was fulfilling a promise he made on the campaign trail.

“There are a lot of people who supported President Trump — law enforcement — [that] didn’t like this, but he said it during the campaign. He’s not tricking people,” Graham said.

He added, “I’ll be consistent here. I don’t like the idea of bailing people out of jail or pardoning people who burn down cities and beat up cops, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat.”

On Jan. 6, 2021, supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol during the certification of Electoral College votes. NBCLX Political Editor Noah Pransky brings you a timeline of the day and the aftermath.

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