5.9k Share this
The Republican governor of New Hampshire denounced former President Donald Trump’s promise to pardon people jailed for storming the US Capitol, breaking from the leader of his own party in a Sunday morning television interview.
Trump pledged to grant clemency to the insurrectionists during a campaign-style rally in Texas on Saturday evening.
‘Look, the folks that on — that were part of the riots and frankly, the assault on the US Capitol, have to be held accountable,’ Governor Chris Sununu said on CNN‘s State of the Union.
Host Dana Bash asked, ‘And they shouldn’t be pardoned?’
‘Of course not. Oh my goodness, no,’ Sununu replied.
He also rejected the idea of Trump campaigning alongside him for his re-election bid, declaring: ‘I don’t need anyone to campaign with me.’
‘Endorsements are fine and all that kind of stuff, but at the end of the day I’m a big believer whether you’re running for the planning board, governor or president, you’ve got to look folks in the eye and earn the votes yourself,’ Sununu said.
Democrats also seized on the incendiary remarks out of Texas on Saturday night.
In response to Trump’s comments, Rep. Eric Swalwell of California blasted the rioters as ‘cop killers.’
The popular Republican governor of New Hampshire also rejected the idea of campaigning for re-election alongside Trump
‘The GOP is a chaos party. Trump promises to pardon cop-killers. This is what it comes down to, America,’ Swalwell wrote on Twitter.
‘Will you choose voting or violence to resolve our differences?’
Swalwell’s fellow progressive, Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, said Trump shared culpability for last year’s incident.
‘Donald Trump announces that he might pardon his co-conspirators,’ Torres said.
Left-wing economist David Rothschild, a member of the wealthy Rothschild family, claimed on Twitter that the former president opened the door to his supporters committing more violent acts.
‘Scary: Trump promising pardons for everyone who committed crimes to try to overturn 2020 loss,’ Rothschild wrote.
‘Even Worse: things people will do knowing Trump will pardon anyone who commits crimes to help him win (or steal) 2024 election.’
A former ethics lawyer in George W. Bush’s White House said the stunning statement disqualified Trump from running for public office again.
‘This alone is giving aid or comfort to an insurrection within the meaning of the 14th Amendment, section 3. Trump is DISQUALIFIED from public office,’ Richard Painter said late Saturday.
Section three of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment bars someone from holding federal elected office who ‘engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to the January 6 committee for comment.
During his Save America rally in Conroe, the former president claimed that his supporters who broke into the Capitol last year are being treated ‘unfairly’ by President Joe Biden.
‘If I run, and if I win, we will treat those people from January 6 fairly. We will treat them fairly,’ he said to enthusiastic applause.
‘If that requires pardons, we will give them pardons, because they are being treated so unfairly.’
He also took aim at the Democrat-led House committee investigating the riot before turning his anger back to how the detainees are being treated.
‘This hasn’t happened to all of the other atrocities that took place recently, what that un-select committee is doing and what the people are doing who are running those prisons — it’s a disgrace,’ Trump said.
It comes as the panel steadily encroaches further into the ex-president’s inner circle — earlier this month its chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson formally asked his elder daughter Ivanka Trump to cooperate with Congress’ investigation.
Trump took the stage in the 7 p.m. hour on a chilly Saturday evening in Conroe, Texas
Lawmakers on the panel have been frank about their search for Trump’s ties to the riot and what kind of a role he played in undermining the 2020 election.
Turning back to the imprisoned rioters, he said: ’We will treat them fairly and we will take care of the people of this country.’
Over the last 12 months, the DOJ has charged hundreds of people in connection with the insurrection.
Trump’s allies in Congress like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida have claimed to witness their alleged poor treatment firsthand and have referred to them as ‘political prisoners.’
Trump’s supporters began arriving to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds on Saturday morning as the sun shone brightly in a cloudless sky.
One rally-goer, Tony Kraut from Dallas, said he wanted to see the former president launch a re-election bid in 2024.
‘He’s such a dynamic guy and he’s working for free, he’s not working for a paycheck, and he’s the only president who’s ran for presidency that’s not doing it for political gain. He’s doing it to protect our freedoms, protect our country, protect our borders — it’s like you and I protect our household,’ Kraut told DailyMail.com.
He pledged to pardon his supporters who were convicted in connection to the Capitol riot while yet again teasing a possible 2024 bid
Multiple Trump supporters told DailyMail.com they wanted the former president to run again
A Trump supporter named Melissa Jamerson, who said Saturday’s rally was her first, insisted she wanted the former president back sooner.
‘I want him back, like, right now,’ she said, adding that he could count on her vote in the next presidential election.
But not every fan in attendance felt the same — a voter who only identified himself as Rod from Montgomery County said he’s ‘not real sure’ he wants to see Trump run for president again.
‘He’ll be 80. I think that’s probably a little too old. I think he’s got plenty of time to get someone — a good successor with good views,’ Rod said.
He said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis could pick up the mantle.
Cody and Cheyenne of Conroe said they ‘absolutely’ wanted Trump to run in 2024, but wanted Republicans to focus on the economy, the border and job growth in the much nearer midterm elections in November.
The former president released a statement on Saturday morning touting how many of his supporters had already gathered at the Montgomery County Fairground ahead of his evening rally.
‘Big crowd already gathering in Texas for tonight, see you there!’ Trump said.
Allies of the former president have accused Joe Biden’s Justice Department for imprisoning the rioters for political reasons
Trump collected some serious money ahead of his Conroe rally, hosting a $100,000 per couple lunch and a second fundraiser on Saturday before he took the stage. The money is for a new political action committee, Make America Great Again Again.
The former president charged couples $100,000 to join him and Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for lunch in Houston, at an undisclosed location.
The Houston Chronicle reported it was to be followed by a $5,000 a couple reception at Lake Conroe, where hosts include Major League Baseball legend Roger Clemens and state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Donors could pay as much as $50,000 to join a roundtable discussion.
And he dropped into an event hosted by his son Don Jr called the American Freedom Tour.
The visit marks Trump’s first visit to Texas in two years, to the reddest county in a state where Democrats are making inroads.
His campaign-style rally in Texas on Saturday comes ahead of the state’s March 1 elections that formally kick off the midterm primary season.
Source: Daily Mail
