He has not yet officially announced his candidacy for the office of US President, when Donald Trump (75) is already making plans for his return to the White House. And in doing so, he once again unleashed a wave of indignation.
His polarizing plan: He wants to pardon the people who violently stormed the Capitol in Washington in January 2021 (a total of 7 dead)!
“If I run and win, I will treat the January 6 people fairly,” he announced over the weekend at a campaign appearance for next fall’s congressional elections in Conroe, Texas.
He then declared, “If pardons are needed for that, I will give them those. Because they are treated so unfairly.”
Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/der-trump-anhaenger-jacob-chansley-am-6-january-im-us-capitol-he-has-ich-guilty- known-one-offi-f9a4e9ae3caa402a9d53d2255fa53b4a-78992824/Bild/4.bild.jpg”/> Trump supporter Jacob Chansley on January 6th in the US Capitol. He has pleaded guilty to obstructing an official trialPhoto: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
As a reminder: Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 when the US Congress wanted to certify the election victory of the 46th President Joe Biden (79). One of them wore a T-shirt that said “Camp Auschwitz”. Another member of the right-wing conspiracy theory group “QAnon” had disguised himself as a Viking.
A committee of the House of Representatives is now investigating the events and wants to clarify what role Trump played in it. The ex-president had repeatedly claimed in the weeks before that the Democrats had stolen his election victory.
Photo: via REUTERS
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/robert-keith-packer-was-wearing-a-t-shirt-with-the-in-the-unrest-of-6-january- inscription-camp-auschwitz-72363477f84f4a8bb84235088c48b8b0-78992856/Bild/1.bild.jpg”/> Robert Keith Packer wore a T-shirt that read “Camp Auschwitz” during the January 6 riots. He is currently in custodyPhoto: via REUTERS
The US Department of Justice is currently investigating around 700 men and women who participated in the storming and were later arrested. Trump said: “These prosecutors are vicious and horrible people. They are racists and very ill – mentally ill.”
Then the former New York real estate juggler came to speak of himself, declaring about the mostly liberal prosecutors: “They are prosecuting me without any protection of my rights by the Supreme Court.”
Trump is alluding to investigations against himself for allegedly illegal real estate transactions and his alleged immunity as ex-president. Finally, he explained to those present, “They are not really after me, they are after you.”
His statement over the weekend immediately triggered an avalanche of outrage among America’s liberals. The Republican establishment, meanwhile, nervously ducked for cover, but once again avoided outright attacking Trump.
For example, former Senator Lindsey Graham (66, South Carolina) told CBS: “I don’t want to give the impression that it’s okay to soil the Capitol. I don’t want to do anything that would make this more likely in the future.”
However, the event makes it clear that Republicans will have a hard time preventing Donald Trump from running again. People from all over the US had traveled to his one-hour speech in an amusement park, having camped in front of the stage days before. According to the New York Times, there was a folk festival atmosphere.
Many of those in attendance wore t-shirts that simply said, “Trump 2024.”