CNN's Inside Politics pundit John King claimed that President Trump's pardons on the J6 rioters and reports he was inviting some of them to the White House was ripe material for Democrats to use against "vulnerable House Republicans" in 2026.
During a roundtable discussion Wednesday, Washington Bureau Chief David Chalian said, "Donald Trump feels emboldened in this moment as he takes that popular vote victory, the larger electoral margin victory than he had the last time around, into the White House. We described that transition, and now I think we're seeing what that feeling of an emboldened Donald Trump looks like in action, because, as you say, he really wants to do this."
Chalian added, "It is clear that Donald Trump feels completely entitled, emboldened to to go the hardest he can on stuff."
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"And going forward, that might be the most important point," King said. "We can debate the specifics about pardoning: people who are on video beating police officers. On video, beating police officers," he emphasized.
King continued, "He pardoned somebody who used the dark internet to sell cocaine, to sell heroin, to sell murder for hire. He pardoned him because Elon Musk and some others said, 'This is a good idea, sir.' That's a democratic campaign ad already made against House Republicans in vulnerable districts."
"Donald Trump saying, 'I'm going to do what I want. Sorry, Mr. Vice President. Sorry, Mr. Speaker. Sorry, Republican majority. I don't care, I'm going to do what I want. Now, the question is, can he lower prices? Can he do the border enforcement that get voters two years from now to say, 'Okay, I'll take the bad with the good?' That's the big challenge. But you already have — smart move by his chief of staff, I guess — inviting some of those vulnerable House Republicans down to the White House, and they're going to say, 'Sir, really? We're 48 hours and 5 minutes in, and already I'm worried.'"
