Powerline by John Hinderaker
When Donald Trump pardoned the January 6 protesters, or commuted their sentences, it prompted a wave of complaints from Democrats that he was putting their lives in danger. The appalling Chris Murphy of Connecticut, for example, asserted that as a result of Trump’s pardons, “political violence just got legitimized in this country. And you’re going to see it again and again and again, specifically directed towards Democrats.” This talking point was repeated by other Democratic politicians and by Democrats in the press.
I seriously doubt that a single act of violence against anyone, Democrat or otherwise, will be committed as a result of Trump’s J6 pardons. Murphy didn’t worry that Joe Biden’s pardons and commutations of the sentences of an amazing number of murderers, rapists, etc. would lead to violence. The supposed connection between pardons and violence is mythical, except to the extent that a murderer pardoned by Biden might kill again.
This is an instance of a broader phenomenon. Democrats love to whine that they are threatened by violence, and therefore our rights must be restricted and Republicans should be denounced. But against whom does political violence actually occur?
There were two attempts by Trump-haters to assassinate him, at least one of which almost succeeded. James Hodgkinson shot up the House Republican baseball team, coming within an inch of murdering Steve Scalise. A liberal tried to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, following the Democrats’ disgusting smear campaign against him.
More:
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/01/whos-killing-whom.php
