'The biggest middle finger': The View blasts Trump's Jan. 6 pardons

The co-hosts of "The View" were furious with new President Donald Trump handing pardons and clemency to some of the most violent Jan. 6 attackers.

In his speech issuing pardons to approximately 1500 people, co-host Sara Haines was offended that Trump used the word "hostages" to refer to those imprisoned since there are actual hostages still in the Middle East.

"They were terrorized by Hamas and have not all come back, so that's a hostage. You can't use that term loosely," she said. "These people committed crimes."

ALSO READ: The terrifying implications of pardoning insurrectionists who killed and maimed

"When we talk about guardrails — you said no one is there to check him," she continued. "His own vice president said if you committed violence on that day, January 6th, obviously you shouldn't be pardoned. His attorney general last week said I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country. Sixty percent of Americans don't agree with pardoning them. This was the biggest middle finger he could give the entire country. Out of all of his options."

The panel debated President Joe Biden issuing preemptive pardons to people like Dr. Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and his own family. The pardons came after years of Trump threatening retribution against them.

Alyssa Farah Griffin said that Biden should operate on a moral high ground and shouldn't have issued pardons for his family without also stepping in to save those who spoke out against Trump, who will likely be targeted in the coming years.

Alexander Vindman's wife, Rachel, complained on Threads that her husband wasn't offered a pardon. Vindman came forward about Trump attempting to bribe the president of Ukraine to announce an investigation into Biden before he'd send the military aide given by Congress.

Others like Griffin herself and aides like Cassidy Hutchinson came forward to testify before the Jan. 6 committee. There is a fear that they will also become targets but weren't protected the way the officials and their staff were.

"I think Biden holds himself on this certain moral high ground and sets a very dangerous precedent," said Griffin.

Sunny Hostin disagreed, saying that Trump is a "very dangerous man," and she understands Biden's fear for his family.

"Yes," Griffin agreed, saying that Trump is dangerous. However, "that's going to allow that man to basically give blanket pardons to anyone he chooses."

Hostin argued that Trump would do that regardless of Biden's actions and had campaigned on it.

See the discussion below or at the link here.

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