Trump defended his blanket pardons of convicted rioters and police attackers, claiming they were the victims. In an ABC interview, he supported chants against Mike Pence.
by Terry Hansen
Guest Commentary
Guest Commentary
On January 6, 2021, Daniel Rodriguez repeatedly drove a stun gun into the base of police officer Michael Fanone's skull, causing him
to lose consciousness and suffer a heart attack. Rodriguez was
sentenced to over 12 years in prison, and the judge called him “a
one-man army of hate."
After his blanket pardon of Rodriguez and his fellow cop-beaters, Trump claimed these
violent felons did not attack anyone, and that, in fact, they were the
ones who had been attacked. He further stated that pardoning them was
"a great thing for humanity."
In an interview with ABC's Jonathan Karl, Trump even defended the rioters' "Hang Mike Pence!" chants.
Trump asserted:
“Well, the people were very angry. ... It’s common sense, Jon. It’s
common sense that you’re supposed to protect. How can you, if you know a
vote is fraudulent, right, how can you pass on a fraudulent vote to
Congress?”
"Trump derangement syndrome" is
a term of propaganda coined to discourage the American people from
examining the appalling statements and decisions for which Trump is
responsible.
A central tragedy
in American politics is the success of figures such as House Speaker
Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Vice President JD Vance in constructing narratives that normalize Trump's egregious behavior.
For example, Johnson claims that Donald Trump should be the leading candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize—a man who boasted that other countries are “kissing my a**,” and who chose as his ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Notably, Huckabee has stated that "there is no such thing as a Palestinian."
The danger to America lies not in outrage at Trump’s conduct, but in the silence that so often greets it.
Terry Hansen is a retired educator who writes frequently about climate change and on human rights. He lives in Grafton, WIsconsin.
In a month marked by remembrance and gratitude, we revisit stories that defined our region — local sports state championship runs, celebrating Thanksgiving, and spotlighting moments of unity, resilience, and spirited debate.
From local news, features, and community events to politics, and Opinion-Editorial viewpoints, discover archived posts published on November 10 in previous years, offering a rich tapestry of life in Champaign County and the broader community, curated by The Sentinel. Here are the headlines from local news, sports, community events, and editorial viewpoints in and around Champaign-Urbana.
