Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger blasted President Donald Trump's pardons of convicted Jan. 6 rioters ahead of his planned retirement.
During a Wednesday report on CBS News, correspondent Scott MacFarlane explained that Manger was pulled out of retirement after the 2021 riot to help with "rebuilding an already understaffed force and beefing up the intelligence unit, which failed so mightily ahead of the siege."
"But as he departs, Manger has some strong words for President Trump's inauguration day pardons of violent capital rioters who beat, maced, and gassed police," the correspondent reported.
"That was probably one of my worst days in this job," Manger said of the pardons. "I think it sent a chilling message to every police officer in this country that, you know, you can be involved in some massive public disorder event and that you could have a politician later on decide that, well, I liked what this other, this side was doing, so we're gonna pardon all these people."
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"It was, I think, a slap in the face to every police officer that was here," he added.
The person who takes his place faces an uphill battle as the number of threats against members of Congress nears 10,000 a year.
"And members of Congress must be protected in every corner of the country when they return home, not just inside the Capitol Dome," MacFarlane noted.
