Remember how Trump pardoned those involved in the Jan. 6th, 2021 insurrection, but upped the ante against left-wing protesters following the assassination of Trump supporter Charlie Kirk? Well, it seems that his favorite groups for political violence are at it again: One of those pardoned individuals has just been arrested for threatening to murder House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
If convicted, there’s not yet any word on how quickly Trump will pardon him for this act of political violence. Such violence is allowed and even encouraged by this White House – if Trump can benefit from it, at any rate.
An anonymous statement to federal justice authorities led to the arrest of Christopher Moynihan, who was one of those convicted for violently forcing their way onto the Senate floor, and for searching through the desks of senators. The arrest of Moynihan was performed by New York State police, after conducting a “thorough investigation.”
Investigators further said their investigation has led them to believe that Moynihan at least had some capacity to access a firearm.
It’s possible that Moynihan may be charged with conducting a threat of terrorism against an official serving in Congress. His arrest on Oct. 19 was first detailed by CBS News.
“Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC I cannot allow this terrorist to live,” declared one text message allegedly sent by Moynihan to an unnamed recipient.
“Even if I am hated he must be eliminated,” Moynihan added, according to the filed complaint. “I will kill him for the future.”
Jeffries offered praise of federal and state authorities for working to apprehend Moynihan, declaring that he is “grateful to state and federal law enforcement for their swift and decisive action to apprehend a dangerous individual who made a credible death threat against me with every intention to carry it out.”
Understandably, Jeffries also pointed out the foolishness of Trump’s blanket pardon.
“Unfortunately, our brave men and women in law enforcement are being forced to spend their time keeping our communities safe from these violent individuals who should never have been pardoned,” Jeffries declared in a statement.
Moynihan is only one of those pardoned by Trump to be charged with conducting some other dangerous, criminal activity – an important point, since they may with some justification believe this president encourages such actions from his supporters.
An increasing list of those prosecuted for some role in the Jan. 6 insurrection – and having benefitted from Trump’s blanket pardon – have since been charged with other serious crimes. Many have already been convicted or sentenced for those activities.
One of those pardoned individuals, Edward Kelley, received a life sentence earlier this year after he was caught working on an assassination plot intended to kill law enforcement personnel who worked to convict him for his activity in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Still other pardoned individuals have been charged with burglary, firearms-related activities or possession of child pornography.
For his part, Trump has been working to provide another case of special pleading intended to obscure or explain away the obvious crime of violent insurrection performed by his own people. He recently has employed his typical logical fallacy of special pleading, claiming without a shred of evidence that the Jan. 6th insurrection was pushed by shadowy ‘government actors’.
What is known is that no government official invested more time pushing the insurrectionists forward than the man who was still president that day, Donald Trump. He encouraged their meeting en masse in the capitol on Jan. 6th, personally delivered an impassioned speech to them before the insurrection exhorting them to march to the capitol building and “fight like hell” to “stop the steal” of their government, flatly refused to perform his duty to maintain law and order as the insurrection took place – Mike Pence, not Donald Trump, finally called in the National Guard to restore order on the capitol that day – and finally, Trump immediately issued a blanket immunity for those involved in the insurrection the moment he regained the presidency this year.
If these activities don’t constitute a tacit support of violent insurrection and attacks on public officials, then nothing does and nothing ever will. If Trump is looking for government officials to blame for helping to incite the violent insurrection, he doesn’t need another special pleading. He only needs a mirror.
