Donald Trump has dangled the possibility of pardoning people who participated in the deadly Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol if he returns to the White House.
But it turns out, it’s not that popular of a plan — even among many Republicans.
According to a new poll, 59% of voters oppose pardons for Jan. 6-related crimes generally and 77% of voters — including a majority of Republican voters — oppose pardons of those convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers.
The poll surveyed 1,200 people in 43 battleground congressional districts. It was conducted by United to Protect Democracy.
More from the survey: “Opposition remained significant across partisan affiliations. For example, 57 percent of Republicans, 97 percent of Democrats, and 71 percent of Independents oppose pardons for those who assaulted law enforcement; and 59 percent of Republicans, 97 percent of Democrats, and 71 percent of Independents oppose pardons for those who used a deadly or dangerous weapon. There is no majority among any partisan constituency in favor of pardons for any surveyed offense.”
Trump has said he’s “absolutely” considering pardoning people who stormed the Capitol after he held a rally and urged his supporters to march to the Hill.
Initially relegated to a fringe theory on the edges of the Republican Party, the revisionist history of Jan. 6, which Trump amplified during the early days of the GOP primary campaign to rouse his most devoted voters, remains a rally centerpiece even as he must appeal more broadly to a general election audience.
It was the deadliest attack on a seat of American power in 200 years.
Trump is facing a four-count federal indictment over Jan. 6 — charges he conspired to defraud Americans over his 2020 election defeat and obstructed the official proceeding in Congress to certify the vote for Joe Biden. As the Supreme Court considers Trump’s claim that he should be immune from prosecution, it’s unclear when the case will go to trial, raising the possibility it might not be resolved until after the election.
More than 1,200 people have been charged in the riot, including far-right Oath Keepers and Proud Boys extremists, with hundreds convicted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Matt Arco may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.
