GOP Governor comes out against Trump’s suggestion he may pardon Jan. 6 rioters if reelected

Governor Chris Sununu (R-NH) said Sunday he disagrees with former President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he would pardon people charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack.

The governor appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Dana Bash. “The folks that were part of the riots and, frankly, the assault on the US Capitol, have to be held accountable. There is a rule of law,” he told Bash. “I don’t care whether you were part of burning cities in Antifa in 2020 or storming the Capitol in 2021, everybody needs to be held fairly accountable across.” 

Bash asked, “They shouldn’t be pardoned?” In response, the governor said, “Of course not. Oh my goodness, no.”

During the Trump rally in Texas on Saturday, the former president complained about the criminal prosecutions people have faced as a result of their attempt to interrupt the certification of 2020 Electoral college votes. Trump suggested he might pardon them if he runs for president again and wins. 

These comments drew a lot of criticism from those in Congress, such as Senator Susan Collins (R-ME). “I do not think the president should have made – President Trump should have made that pledge to do pardons. We should let the judicial process proceed. January 6 was a dark day in our history,” she told ABC News.

So far, the Department of Justice has charged over 700 people in connection with the attack on the Capitol.