Opening Day of 118th Congress – House of Representatives

The New York Times editorial board condemned President Donald Trump's decision to pardon approximately 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters, many of whom have since committed additional crimes.

Unlike past presidents who issued controversial pardons near the end of their terms, Trump deployed what MAGA ally Steve Bannon described as a "flood the zone" strategy: issuing so many pardons so quickly that public attention cannot keep up with the consequences.

The Times documented 12 serious recidivists, including four who were incarcerated at the time of their pardons and subsequently committed new offenses.

The board stated, "The American public deserves to understand the mayhem that the Jan. 6 pardons have unleashed."

The editorial warned that Trump and Republicans face accountability through midterm elections, arguing voters must deliver "a political price" for the pardons. The Times noted Trump continues valorizing the Capitol attack, which included threats against the Vice President, assaults on police officers, and resulted in one officer's death from strokes and four officers' suicides.

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