GOP Senator Denounces Trump Calling Jan 6 Prisoners ‘Hostages’ — Just Before Revealing She’s Open to Trump Pardoning Them
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) was quick to condemn former President Donald Trump’s use of the word “hostages” to describe those convicted of crimes related to the January 6 insurrection. But she also said it was his “prerogative” if he wanted to pardon them.
On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, NBC’s Meet the Press welcomed Ernst to discuss the official kickoff of the 2024 general election season. While she wouldn’t say whom she was supporting, moderator Kristen Welker still pressed Ernst on Trump, including his describing those in prison for crimes related to the attack on the Capitol as “hostages”:
Welker: Donald Trump has gotten a lot of attention for labeling those who are serving time for the January 6th attack as “hostages.” You obviously know the difference between those convicted of crimes related to January 6th and hostages. Does it bother you that Donald Trump is using that language?
Ernst: It does in this context, because we do have American hostages that are being held against their will all around the globe. And especially if you look at the innocents that were attacked and kidnapped on October 7th. We are approaching nearly 100 days. These are people that have been taken. They’re held in tunnels with terrorists. They are being tortured. They have been raped. They have been denied medication. So equating the two, there is no comparison. Our Americans that are being held overseas, they are innocent. They were — they are — celebrating the high Jewish holidays, and were taken by these horrible terrorists.
So there is no equal term. The hostages are hostages. I would certainly ask to speak to any of their families and see the anguish and the pain of not knowing whether their loved ones are alive or dead. There is a very clear difference.
Despite that “very clear difference,” Ernst was willing to pass the buck to Trump when it came to pardoning the people he considered to be “hostages”:
Welker: And as you know, Mr. Trump is also talking about pardoning some of those who have been convicted. Would you advise him against that? Are you opposed to pardoning those who are serving time for January 6th?
Ernst: I am not opposed to that. That is a president’s prerogative. And so if former president Donald Trump is elected as our next president. He does have the right to do that.
Welker pushed back:
Welker: Seven hundred of them have pled guilty to crimes related to storming the Capitol on January 6th. You would support pardoning them?
Ernst: Well, again, I am not saying that I would support pardoning them, but that is a president’s prerogative to do so. We have seen many presidents through the years that have pardoned many others. And so if Donald Trump chooses to do that as our next President of the United States, again, that will be his decision.
Welker: These are people, though, who attacked the building that you were in. You called them “insurrectionists” at the time. Would you not counsel Mr. Trump against pardon?
Ernst: I did not call them “insurrectionists.” I don’t remember using that term. Um, I would say that they did break the law. They did break the law. And I am not excusing any of their behavior. But again, that’s up to the president.
Welker reminded Ernst that she did refer to those who stormed the Capitol on January 6 as “insurrectionists” in an op-ed for The Des Moines Register. More accurately, Ernst wrote:
[S]torming the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to influence elected officials — an insurrection as many have called it — is not, and will never be, a peaceful protest. It is anarchy — and America and her people cannot stand for it in any form.
She also wrote: “[T]here can be no doubt that the violent mob who lawlessly breached the Capitol in hopes of intimidating elected officials and disrupting our constitutional duties are criminals.”
Watch the video above via NBC.
