Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has found himself under fire from members of the MAGA movement and January 6th defendants after his recent comments on pardons for those involved in the Capitol attack. Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Vance clarified his position, stating that pardons should not be universal.
“If you protested peacefully on Jan. 6 and you’ve had [Attorney General] Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned,” Vance said. “If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned.”
This stance sparked outrage among J6 defendants and their supporters, many of whom demanded unconditional pardons. MAGA commentator Anderson expressed the sentiment widely shared within the community, saying, “J6 defendants and family members are swearing vengeance on JD Vance if all of the J6 defendants are not saved. And they are right to do it.”
Anderson criticized Vance’s comments as a betrayal, warning that the decision could have dire consequences for him personally. “If JD Vance has his way and I happen to be included in the half of J6 defendants he abandons… I won’t be alive for it,” he wrote on X. “My life will be over, so no reason to keep living. But here and now I just want to say thank you to every patriot who fought to save all of us.”
Anderson’s discontent extended to symbolic acts, such as removing a MAGA sticker from his vehicle. “Until all of the J6 defendants are saved, I have to take this off my car. JD Vance has crushed the hopes and morale of hundreds of J6ers,” he added.
Prominent MAGA commentator Joey Mannarino also weighed in, declaring that not only should all J6 defendants receive blanket pardons, but they also deserve Presidential Medals of Freedom. “Yes, the violent ones too,” he added.
Vance tried to address the backlash by elaborating on his position, saying that pardons would focus on those who experienced unfair trials. However, this explanation prompted further criticism. John Strand, a J6 defendant found guilty on multiple charges, responded, “I don’t know who needs to hear this, but every J6 defendant who was forced to be tried by Washington D.C. judges and juries ‘got a garbage trial.’
EVERY SINGLE ONE.” The controversy highlights divisions within the MAGA movement over accountability for January 6th, with Vance caught between legal realities and political loyalty.