Donald Trump’s number two has found himself to be the number one target of several faithful members of the MAGA movement, including Jan. 6 rioters.
Vance told Fox News on Sunday that not all Jan. 6 defendants deserved pardons, specifically saying those who engaged in violence could potentially be excluded.
“If you protested peacefully on Jan. 6 and you’ve had [Attorney General] Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned,” the vice president-elect said. “If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned.”
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That comment struck a chord with numerous Trump supporters, including Philip Anderson, a Texas man who was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges connected to the riot.
“Telling your own supporters that the election was stolen and then not giving them a pardon or commutation after you sent them into what you call a ‘fedsurrection’ and ‘trap’ is a betrayal,” he wrote Sunday. “All of the J6 defendants must be saved. JD Vance is wrong and I hope Trump will save his own supporters.”
Another Jan. 6 defendant, Samuel Fisher, (aka Brad Holiday), replied to Anderson, saying, “He better or we will raise hell for the rest of our lives.”
Anderson said the sentiment was shared throughout the J6 community, claiming, “Been seeing lots of this.”
“J6 defendants and family members are swearing vengeance on JD Vance if all of the J6 defendants are not saved. And they are right to do it,” he said on X.
Anderson went on to say Vance “made a HUGE mistake by attacking the J6 defendants,” and then warned Anderson’s life might hang in the balance.
“If JD Vance has his way and I happen to be included in the half of J6 defendants he abandons… I won’t be alive for it,” Anderson said. “My life will be over so no reason to keep living. But here and now I just want to say thank you to every patriot who fought to save all of us.”
Anderson even went as far as to remove the MAGA sticker from his vehicle.
“Until all of the J6 defendants are saved I have to take this off my car. JD Vance has crushed the hopes and morale of hundreds of J6ers,” he said Sunday.
Popular MAGA commentator Joey Mannarino also chimed in, saying, “Not only should the J6ers be pardoned in a mass blanket pardon, they should be given Presidential Medals of Freedom for standing up when the country needed fighters the most.”
“Yes, the violent ones too,” he added pointedly.
Vance tried to explain his comments, saying pardons would be offered to those who got a “garbage trial,” and that prompted more pushback.
John Strand, who was found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the Capitol breach replied, “I don’t know who needs to hear this, but every J6 defendant who was forced to be tried by Washington D.C. judges and juries ‘got a garbage trial.’ EVERY SINGLE ONE.”
