The Washington Post editorial board on Thursday called out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for not ruling out pardons for Jan. 6 rioters or even former President Donald Trump.
The move showed DeSantis, who officially jumped into the 2024 presidential race on Wednesday, is running “as an echo rather than an alternative” to his opponent Trump, said the newspaper editorial board.
“Floating pardons gives Jan. 6 rioters hope that they won’t be held accountable,” the board warned, saying it “will discourage plea deals and encourage defendants to drag out proceedings in hopes that they might get clemency in 20 months.”
“It also heightens the danger that people will again engage in violence if they don’t like the outcome of next year’s elections, calculating that they might receive pardons if their preferred candidate takes power,” it added.
Trump, who is facing potential charges for his effort to undo the election and for potential mishandling of government documents, has repeatedly said he would consider pardons for his supporters who broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
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