Lisa Murkowski denounces Trump's J6 pardons

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska denounced President Donald Trump's sweeping pardon of 1,500 defendants convicted of offenses related to the January 6 protest at the Capitol.

On his first day in office, Trump pardoned the 1,500 defendants and commuted the sentences of 14 others, fulfilling one of his key campaign promises.

'The Capitol Police officers are the backbone of Congress — every day they protect and serve the halls of democracy.'

"This proclamation ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation," the pardon reads.

While Trump and his allies maintained great support for pardoning the J6 "hostages," including Blaze News investigative reporter Steve Baker, Murkowski expressed great disapproval.

"The Capitol Police officers are the backbone of Congress — every day they protect and serve the halls of democracy," Murkowski said. "I strongly denounce the blanket pardons given to the violent offenders who assaulted these brave men and women in uniform."

Other Republicans, like Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, had similar reservations about the sweeping nature of the pardons.

"Anybody who is convicted of assault on a police officer, I can't get there at all," Tillis said Tuesday. "I think it was a bad idea."

Although she was highly critical of Trump's J6 pardons, Murkowski refrained from addressing the pardons former President Joe Biden issued just hours before Trump was sworn in.

In the 11th hour, Biden pardoned Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the January 6 committee, as well as his brothers Francis and James Biden, his sister Valerie Biden Owens, his sister-in-law Sara Biden, and his brother-in-law John Owens.

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