President Trump’s decision to pardon hundreds of protesters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — including many accused of assaulting police officers — is dividing House Republicans, with some lawmakers touting the day-one decree and others criticizing it as ill-advised.

Trump’s blanket pardon for roughly 1,500 rioters in the hours after he was sworn into office — particularly his decision to issue a sweeping reprieve rather than assessing the cases individually — shook Washington. Many of Trump’s allies, including Vice President Vance, had said they were in favor of examining the arrests on a case-by-case basis.

The order included pardons for roughly 600 protesters accused of assaulting, resisting or impeding police and commutations for 14 Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders who were charged with sedition.

Some House Republicans — including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and hard-line conservatives— defended Trump this week, contending that it is his right to sign clemencies and deflecting to former President Biden’s controversial decision to issue preemptive pardons to members of his family, which was made public in the final minutes of his presidency. Some celebrated the move.

But a growing number of Republicans in the lower chamber are criticizing the action, wishing that Trump excluded the violent protesters from the pardons and contending that it is an insult to the police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6. They argue that such a move contrasts with the GOP’s core principle of being a champion for law enforcement.

“[I] don’t agree with the pardoning of people that committed violence or even damage to property,” said Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.). “If you climbed in through a window, I think probably you knew what you were doing was against the law, and I........

© The Hill