'Trump Pardon Refusal' Capitol Rioter: "I'm Guilty... Election Fraud Is a Lie"

Over 1,500 Capitol Riot Participants Pardoned on Inauguration Day
NYT: "Refusing a Pardon Is a Difficult Battle in Reality"

One of the participants in the U.S. Capitol riot refused a pardon from President Donald Trump and admitted, "We were wrong that day." On the 22nd (local time), Yonhap News Agency reported an interview with Pamela Hemphill (71), who took part in the Capitol riot, citing foreign media including the British BBC. She expressed her conviction that "there should be no pardon for the riot that occurred on January 6, 2021."

Hemphill, who participated in the riot at the time and was sentenced to 60 days in prison and 3 years of probation, said, "Accepting the pardon is nothing but an insult to the Capitol police, the rule of law, and our country," adding, "I pleaded guilty because I was guilty. Accepting the pardon would contribute to their gaslighting and false narrative." Pamela Hemphill X

Hemphill, who was sentenced to 60 days in prison and 3 years of probation for her involvement in the riot, said, "Accepting a pardon would only insult the Capitol police, the rule of law, and our country," adding, "I pleaded guilty because I am guilty. Accepting a pardon would contribute to their gaslighting and false narratives."

Known on social media as the 'MAGA (Make America Great Again) Grandma,' Hemphill repeated the MAGA slogan and said that the Trump administration is "trying to rewrite history, but I do not want to be part of that." She emphasized again, "We were wrong that day, and we broke the law. There should be no pardon."

In an interview with The New York Times (NYT), she also stated, "I no longer support Trump and do not believe the 'lie' that the 2020 election was stolen." Reflecting on her past involvement in the riot, she said, "I lost critical thinking" and "I now realize that I was part of a fanatic group." However, the NYT predicted that, realistically, Hemphill's refusal of a pardon would be a 'difficult battle.' There are precedents where judges ruled that even if reduced sentences are requested to be declined by inmates, the punishment cannot be refused without the inmate's consent, just as sentences are imposed regardless of the inmate's wishes.

Enrico Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right group 'Proud Boys,' the main culprit in the 2021 Capitol riot, was sentenced to 22 years in prison and has been pardoned and released while serving his sentence. He arrived at Miami International Airport in Florida on the 22nd (local time). Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

Meanwhile, on the 20th, President Trump pardoned over 1,500 individuals related to the January 6 Capitol riot on his first day in office and commuted the sentences of 14 others. At a press conference, Trump said, "These people have already served years in prison and have served harshly," adding, "It was a disgusting prison and terrible. It was inhumane." In the U.S., there has been criticism even from some Republicans in the ruling party over the mass pardons, which include two ringleaders who were sentenced to 22 and 18 years in the first trial. The Capitol was occupied by Trump supporters for seven hours with violence, injuring more than 140 police officers, and four Trump supporters and five police officers died as a direct or indirect result.

Senator Thom Tillis (North Carolina, Republican) criticized the move, saying, "I cannot agree at all," and added, "This naturally causes safety issues at the Capitol." Senator James Lankford (Oklahoma, Republican) also emphasized on CNN, "If you attack the police, that is a very serious issue, and they must pay the price for it."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.