
In a sharp rebuke of President Donald Trump's latest round of pardons, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has publicly condemned the decision to absolve individuals involved in the January 6th Capitol riots. In a statement released by the Attorney General's Office, Mayes expressed her alarm at Trump's action, arguing it compromises the safety of communities and spits in the face of law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line during the insurrection.
Mayes did not hold back her condemnation, stating, "The violent attack on our nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021, was not just an assault on the rule of law—it was an assault on the brave men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us all," as per the Attorney General's Office. She further lambasted Trump's pardons as "the most anti-law enforcement action that any President of the United States has ever taken." The Attorney General's criticisms underscore a fundamental concern that politically motivated violence might be dangerously excused by such presidential pardons.
With a direct appeal to the implications brought upon law enforcement, Mayes posed a rhetorical question regarding public trust, "How can the American people trust the new administration to stand with law enforcement when it chooses to pardon individuals who attacked cops?" She went on to depict the pardoned individuals not as peaceful protesters, but as "violent criminals who destroyed property and violently assaulted police officers" the Attorney General's Office noted.
Reaffirming her commitment to the rule of law, Mayes pledged, "As the chief law enforcement officer in the state of Arizona, I will always stand with the brave men and women in uniform who risk their lives to keep us all safe," as stated by the Attorney General's Office.