The Bulwark's Will Saletan has found himself feeling disturbed at the ways that congressional Republicans have excused President Donald Trump's decision to issue mass pardons to violent criminals who attacked and ransacked the United States Capitol four years ago.
In his latest piece, Saletan picks apart the justifications that Republicans have used to brush off Trump's decision to issue sweeping pardons for January 6th defendants, as well as to commute the sentences of those who were convicted of committing seditious conspiracy against the government of the United States.
First up is House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who simply said that Trump made a decision and that he stood by whatever decision Trump makes.
"That’s the authoritarian spirit," comments Saletan. "No matter what the leader does, his allies fall in line."
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Next Saletan turns his attention to Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), who told reporters that Trump had promised to pardon January 6th defendants during the 2024 campaign, so it should be no surprise that he'd follow through on his promises.
"This, too, is the language of autocracy," writes Saletan. "The moral content of the leader’s threat or act is irrelevant. What matters is that he deserves praise for following through on his threats."
Saletan then hammers Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) for saying that because Trump won the 2024 election, the debate over the deadly riot that took place at the Capitol four years earlier was settled.
Saletan, however, says that winning an election does not excuse the president from his duties to uphold the law.
"This is the easiest way to unravel a constitutional democracy: You turn democracy against the constitution, by claiming that an election gave the winner a mandate to suspend or ignore laws," he argues. "In reality, Americans gave Trump no such mandate. Multiple polls have found that they oppose pardons for people convicted of violent crimes on January 6th."
