Kash Patel quizzed on Trump Pardons of J-6rs

‘It Goes Both Ways’: Kash Patel Flips The Script On Dem Senator Repeatedly Pressing Him On J6 Pardons

President Donald Trump’s FBI Director appointee, Kash Patel, flipped the script on Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin Thursday as he called out former President Joe Biden’s pardoning of his family members and violent criminals.

Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 to pardon and commute the sentences of approximately 1,500 defendants charged for their actions at the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. At Patel’s confirmation hearing, Durbin asked the nominee whether he opposed the blanket pardons for the defendants after pointing to an egregious example of one of the individual’s violent actions after being released from prison.

“Was President Donald Trump wrong to give blanket clemency to the January 6 defendants?” Durbin asked.

Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, in December of any crimes potentially committed between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 1, 2024, and issued preemptive pardons for five of his family members minutes before he exited office.

“Thank you ranking member, a couple of things on that,” Patel said. “One, the power of the presidential pardon is just that, the president … as we discussed in our private meeting senator, I have always rejected any violence against law enforcement and including in that group, [I have] specifically addressed any violence against law enforcement on January 6 and I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement.”

Kash Patel's Opening Statement: