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In today's edition, we take a closer look at how members of his party reacted to his blanket pardon of defendants on January 6. Additionally, Steve Kornacki takes a historical look at where J.D. Vance finds himself now: vice president to a president unable to seek reelection.
—Adam Wallner
Of all the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office, the one that caused the biggest reaction in Washington was his move to pardon the Jan. 6 rioters.
With the stroke of his pen, Trump pardoned approximately 1,500 criminal defendants and commuted the sentences of 14 others in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He also ordered the dismissal of hundreds of cases that are still being prosecuted.
As Scott Wong, Frank Thorp V, Kate Santaliz and Katie Taylor report, the Jan. 6 pardon was opposed by a handful of Republican senators. They soon found themselves back in the same position they often found themselves in a few years ago: responding to Trump's latest actions or comments.
Reactions fell roughly into four camps.
Those who ostensibly criticized the January 6th pardonEspecially those convicted of violence against police officers. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she was "disappointed" by Trump's actions and worried about the message it sent to officials who were defending the Capitol that day.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said "I cannot agree" with Trump's pardon.
Some have not publicly criticized Trump but have refused to support the decision. "The president made the decision. You have to ask him. I'm not going to defend it," said Republican Sen. Mike Rounds.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he would not pardon those who committed violence on Jan. 6 if he were president, but added that Trump had delivered on his campaign promises.
Some people ignore these issues and sought to turn the focus to Joe Biden's decision to pardon members of his family in his final minutes as president.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), when pressed about Trump's decision, said he was "looking forward to the next four years, not the past four years."
"Would you ask Biden the same question?" Thune said when asked what message it sent to the officers who were assaulted that day.
And then there are those who celebrate the pardon. Some members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, such as Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, traveled to a Washington prison where inmates were killed in January Released on the 6th.
What Trump is saying: He defended the January 6 pardon at a press conference on Tuesday, Catherine Doyle reports.
"They've been in prison for years," Trump said in response to a reporter's question at the White House about why he pardons violent offenders. "They don't deserve to serve, and they've been in prison for years. Murderers don't even go to prison in this country."
What current and former prosecutors say: As Ken Dilanian and Ryan J. Reilly report, Justice Department sources and legal scholars called the move an unprecedented and dangerous use of the pardon power that not only targets Federal law enforcement and inflicted a devastating blow on the American justice system.
"I don't think it's OK," Jason Manning, who spent years as a front-line prosecutor in the Jan. 6 case in Washington, told NBC News in an exclusive interview. "I find the pardon shocking."
In addition to the impact of the January 6 pardon, Trump's second day in office once again brought a series of news. Here are the top lines:
When he was sworn in Monday, J.D. Vance immediately occupied a unique position on the political stage: as vice president to a term-limited president.
Rather than wait eight years (and spend the next four years pushing his boss's reelection effort), Vance took office with the 2028 Republican presidential nomination open. Six former vice presidents have held the position since the enactment of the 22nd Amendment, which limited presidential terms to two terms.
All but one of these six candidates harbored presidential ambitions, although only three actually succeeded in winning their party's next nomination—only one of them, George H. ·W. Bush (George HW Bush) won the presidency.
The two newest vice presidents in Vance's position have declined to run. In Dick Cheney's case, there was nothing dramatic. He gave up any presidential ambitions in exchange for an influential role in the George W. Bush administration. In 2016, Joe Biden made clear his desire to run, but relented in the face of apparent dissuasion from Barack Obama and other Democratic leaders.
As early as 1952, Alben Barkley was selected as Harry Truman's running mate in 1948 (three years after Truman took office), in the midst of convention trade rather than the main proceedings. Aiming for the Democratic nomination. ——is decisive. But concerns about his 74-year-old age have representatives looking elsewhere.
The other three vice presidents on the list came into office with clear ambitions. Both Richard Nixon in 1960 and Al Gore in 2000 served in popular administrations and maintained strong relationships with party leaders who swept their campaigns. Cleared the way. George HW Bush in 1988 was also part of a popular administration, but despite his eventual success, his path to the Republican nomination was trickier. He ran against Ronald Reagan in the 1980 primary and, while serving as vice president, tried to convince skeptical conservatives that he was no longer the moderate he had positioned himself to be in the campaign.
There's no reason to believe Vance is also interested in becoming the party's next standard-bearer. He started out in a seemingly solid position. He is a good communicator and his performance during the campaign was well received within the Republican Party. What's more, he is a loyal Trump supporter and has a personal relationship with the president's sons. Trump himself appears to have a fondness for Vance that he never expressed to his former Vice President, Mike Pence.
Given Trump's unparalleled influence over Republicans, it's conceivable that Vance, with Trump's blessing, could easily ascend to the top of the 2028 Republican ticket. It’s also conceivable that at some point in the next four years, Vance will find his path irrevocably blocked by Trump’s shift in his perception of him.
For now, that's all the Political Desk has to offer. Today's newsletter is written by Adam Wollner and Faith Wardwell.
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