Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Trump Pardons 1,600 Domestic Terrorists
One of the first things that Donald Trump did upon returning to the White House was sign a document pardoning about 1,600 people convicted of crimes related to his failed coup attempt on January 6, 2021. Some, like 14 of the Oathkeepers and Proud Boys who committed violence against the Capitol Police, had their sentences commuted. While they remain convicted felons, they are free. This is important in two ways. First, it makes clear that political violence on behalf of MAGA is acceptable. Second, Mr. Trump will go soft of terrorism to protect his minions.
The Associated Press reported, "Trump had suggested in the weeks leading up to his return to the White House that instead of blanket pardons, he would look at the Jan. 6 defendants on a case-by-case basis. And Vice President JD Vance had said just days ago that people responsible for the violence during the Capitol riot 'obviously' should not be pardoned."
Clearly, they did not have time to do check ever case for the 1,600 convicts. So, all pre-election promises about precision are nonsense. MAGA criminals walk, even if they are terrorists.
Terrorism has a very clear definition here. It is the violent actions or threats of violent actions by a non-state actor in the pursuit of a political, economic or social goal. The violence on January 6, 2021, is well-documented having been broadcast live by all the major networks. The violence happened because the convicted criminals were trying to prevent the Congress from certifying the 2020 election. That is clearly a political goal. They met the definition of terrorist and should be treated accordingly.
Mr. Trump likes to talk tough, as anyone who is afraid of a bar fight does. When it comes to attack enemies, he is horribly predictable. The record of his first administration is clear. He used drones and other military assets to retaliate against terrorist attacks abroad. Karen J. Greenberg, writing in The Nation, observed, "In fact, Trump brought the tools and tactics designed for the War on Terror to the 'home front,' notably in his approach to dissent. He attacked Black Lives Matter protesters as enemies, labeling them 'terrorists'."
Whether the actions of BLM rise to the level of terrorism (peaceful protests turning violent because of police reactions are harder to pin down with the label), the actions of those attacking the Capitol on January 6 clearly did. If he were consistent, there would be a pardon or two for BLM, and hell would freeze over.
In a nutshell, Mr. Trump will talk tough about terrorism, and he will stage some dramatic attacks on ISIS and others abroad. Domestically, he will do the same with one significant exception. Violence on his behalf will be deemed something other that terrorism. Perhaps, the DoJ will have a category of "excessive exuberance" or something equally benign to label them. It will be a pretext for not prosecuting.
This is where the anti-Trump crowd have largely failed to see what is going on. Their concerns have been for the underclasses in the US who will be on the receiving end of budget cuts, police raids and reduced rights. Those are perfectly legitimate concerns.
However, the bigger worry is state-sanctioned domestic terrorists. A group like the Oathkeepers or Proud Boys have no official governmental role. They can do as they please, and the administration will have plausible deniability while they have tacit immunity. They will play the role of Mussolini's Blackshirts in the Trump administration if some other force does not check them.
© Copyright 2025 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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