Mike Honcho 5,295 Posted January 26 Quote Former ‘Maga Granny’ refuses to accept Trump’s pardon for actions on January 6 While some have praised Donald Trump for issuing “full, complete and unconditional” pardons for the 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, Pamela Hemphill has pushed back. Hemphill, who was also arrested on January 6, has refused to accept Trump’s pardon, instead deciding to take responsibility for the role she played in trying to overturn the 2020 election results which made Joe Biden victorious over Trump. “Absolutely not,” Hemphill, 71, told the Guardian on Thursday. “It’s an insult to the Capitol police officers and to the rule of law and to the nation. It contributes to the propaganda that it was a peaceful protest, that the DoJ is weaponized against them and against Trump.” During the Capitol riot, Hemphill said she was pushed down, trampled on, and had her glasses smashed. She credits the Capitol police for saving her life. Two days later, Hemphill was arrested when the FBI received a tip stating she “planned to and did in fact travel to Washington DC for January 6.” The tip included screenshots of Facebook posts dated before the attack, in which Hemphill wrote “its a WAR!” and “Happy New Year! On my way to Washington D. C. January 6th!” Hemphill, who earned the nickname “Maga Granny” in reference to Trump’s Make America great again slogan, reportedly became interested in politics after she retired in 2011. She told the Idaho Statesman that she became connected with Ammon Bundy’s People’s Rights Network online and later began talking with the Proud Boys, a far-right group which played a major role in the attack. She subsequently attended the January 6 riot alongside the Proud Boys and streamed what she was doing on YouTube. She pleaded guilty in January 2022 and was sentenced to 60 days in prison and three years of probation. In 2023, Hemphill claims she had a change of heart and parted ways with Maga. The decision to leave what she called “a cult” came after she was blamed by rioters when her video footage of the attack was used as evidence against them. Hemphill, who has been sober since 1979 and is now a substance abuse counselor, compared her addiction to alcohol to the Maga ideology. She said undergoing therapy shifted her perspective; she now sees herself as a volunteer, not a victim. “This Maga cult and these J6 criminals and all their family are very upset that I am bringing the facts when they say something,” Hemphill said. “It’s just like working with an alcoholic – when you’re in denial, you get real upset.” It's good to see some people still accept responsibility for their actions and truly see MAGA for what it is. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Honcho 5,295 Posted January 26 Quote Another Jan. 6 rioter has rejected President Trump’s pardon, saying that he “did those things” and his actions do not merit forgiveness. “It’s almost like he was trying to say it didn’t happen. And it happened. I did those things, and they weren’t pardonable. I don’t want the pardon. And I also learned that I can reject the pardon,” Jason Riddle said in an interview with NHPR published Friday. Riddle, a Navy veteran, was sentenced to 90 days in jail in early April 2022 for his involvement in the 2021 Capitol riot along with three years of probation. He was fined $750 for stealing a book and inflicting damage during the riot more than four years ago. During the unrest at the Capitol, he entered the Senate parliamentarian’s office and drank a bottle of wine, per his plea agreement. Riddle, who previously expressed interest in running for Congress, said he rejected Trump’s pardon to better his chances of landing jobs. “And I did reject the pardon because I’m thinking down the road [if] an employer looks in my background, they see misdemeanors … Misdemeanors with a presidential pardon — I think that tends to draw more attention,” he said. “And I’m sure that’s fine in the MAGA world with whoever supports Trump, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering if the job I’m applying to, if they like Trump.” Trump granted around 1,500 “full, complete and unconditional pardons” for rioters who were charged concerning the Jan. 6 riot. In total, 1,583 defendants have been charged. Some 600 of those defendants were accused of resisting and assaulting police officers. Riddle is another defendant who has rejected the pardon the president issued earlier this week. Pamela Hemphill, who served time in prison over her actions on Jan. 6, said the rioters were “wrong” for storming the building. “Accepting a pardon would only insult the Capitol Police officers, rule of law and, of course, our nation,” Hemphill said Wednesday. Another person has learned his lesson and accepts responsibility for his actions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EternalShinyAndChrome 4,132 Posted January 26 But all those Antifa/BLM rioters? They didn't do anything wrong. Same as all those who just got pardoned by Joe Biden. Can we hear their stories too? How many turned down Biden's pardon? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squistion 2,226 Posted January 26 18 minutes ago, Mike Honcho said: “And I did reject the pardon because I’m thinking down the road [if] an employer looks in my background, they see misdemeanors … Misdemeanors with a presidential pardon — I think that tends to draw more attention,” he said. Yeah, true, but any Google search by a potential employer would probablly turn up his name along with Jan 6 and the pardon. Anyone who was pardoned will never get away from that entirely and it will be baggage they will have to carry around with them for the rest of their lives. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
