Pamela Hemphill, one of the individuals who served time for participating in the January 6 Capitol riot, has publicly refused a pardon offered by President Donald Trump.
Speaking to the BBC, Hemphill, who was sentenced to 60 days in prison after pleading guilty, firmly stated, “We were wrong that day. We broke the law - there should be no pardons.”
Nicknamed the "MAGA Granny" by social media users due to her support for Trump’s "Make America Great Again" slogan, Hemphill said accepting the pardon would disrespect the Capitol police, undermine the rule of law, and perpetuate "gaslighting and false narratives." She added, “I don’t want to be part of rewriting history.”
Trump’s mass pardon or commutation for nearly 1,600 individuals involved in the riot came during his return to the presidency. At a White House press conference, he described their treatment as “inhumane,” calling the conditions in prison “a terrible, terrible thing.”
The controversial decision has sparked unease among some Republican lawmakers. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said he "just can’t agree" with the pardons, citing "legitimate safety issues on Capitol Hill." Similarly, Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma reaffirmed, “If you attack a police officer, that’s a very serious issue, and there must be consequences.”
Among the pardoned was Jacob Chansley, the so-called “QAnon Shaman,” whose horned fur headdress made him one of the riot’s most recognizable figures. Chansley, who was released from prison in 2023 after serving 27 months of a 41-month sentence, expressed elation upon hearing the news, saying he screamed “freedom” and celebrated with a Native American war cry.
For Hemphill, however, the pardon represents a step in the wrong direction. “We need accountability,” she emphasized. “Our actions that day were not defensible.”
* BBC News contributed to this article.
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