A gay man has rejected president Donald Trump’s pardon for his involvement in the Capitol riots, saying: “I did those things and they weren’t pardonable.”
On his first day as president, Trump issued about 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 people in connection with the US Capitol riots on 6 January 2021, NBC News reported. Among those freed from prison were members of the far-right Proud Boys.
Jason Riddle, who was present as thousands of people stormed the Capitol building after the president’s false claims that the 2020 general election was rigged against him, has rejected the pardon, insisting he no longer supports Trump.
Riddle, who served 90 days in jail, told New Hampshire Public Radio that, during that time, he had an “epiphany” with regard to his support of Trump.
“I’m a recovering alcoholic. At the time, I was not recovering,” Riddle said, adding that he attended numerous Trump rallies in the past.
“I would combine alcohol with my politics and I’d put it online too. I spent a lot of time on social media in the comments section arguing with strangers about nothing… Instead of trying to figure out what was causing these problems, looking at myself, I blamed other people and politics.”
The atmosphere at the Capitol originally felt like a “jubilant celebration” and was “all a joke to me”, he added.
“People were smashing windows and breaking things, and I went in and spotted a liquor cabinet and, doing what a good alcoholic does, just poured myself a drink.”
Finding out that air force veteran Ashli Babbitt had been fatally shot by a Capitol police officer was the moment it all changed for Riddle, himself a former member of the armed forces.
“I was like, ‘All right, I did something’. All that jubilation and all the immaturity, it all turned into fear,” he said.
Riddle was arrested and pleaded guilty to theft of government property, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. In addition to his 90-day jail term, he was fined $800 (close to £650), according to boston.com and The Boston Globe.
“After I got out of prison, Trump had gotten indicted and he put on social media asking people to come out and protest for him. And I remember thinking: ‘What are you doing, Trump? Remember what happened at the riot? Someone might get hurt. Why would you ask people to protest?’
Riddle expressed remorse for the effects of the riot on law enforcement, adding that it must be “real hard” for police officers to work with Trump after he pardoned “1,500 people who assaulted their brothers and sisters on that day”.
He went on to say: “I’m able to handle my mental-health problems but I still can’t help but think of all the suicides among the Capitol Police officers since the riot. I just can’t imagine.”
Another Capitol rioter, Pamela Hemphill, has also refused a pardon, saying: “We were wrong that day, we broke the law”.
Hemphill, nicknamed ‘MAGA Granny’, was sentenced to 60 days in prison after pleading guilty to her involvement in the riot.
“Accepting a pardon would serve to contribute to their gaslighting and false narrative,” she said. “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 (Department of Justice) is weaponised against Trump.”
Trump’s current administration is trying to “rewrite history”, she claimed, “and I don’t want to be part of that”.
As well as freeing the rioters, Trump has used his first week back in office to sign several anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders. These included looking into the banning of transgender members of the armed forces, rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and proclaiming that the US will only recognise “two sexes”.
Readers affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact Samaritans free on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.
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