Vox Sentences - Pardon?

Trump dangles pardons for Capitol rioters; Boris Johnson faces "partygate" report.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Trump dangles pardons for January 6 rioters

Sergio Flores/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

• Donald Trump said he would pardon January 6 insurrectionists if he is reelected in 2024, the latest in his attempts to downplay last year's violent attack on the Capitol. [Washington Post / Tyler Pager]
• More than 700 people — incited by Trump’s false claims that Democrats stole the 2020 presidential election — have been charged with federal crimes for involvement in the insurrection, one of the most extensive investigations in Justice Department history. At a Texas rally on Saturday, Trump said, if necessary, “We will give them pardons because they are being treated so unfairly.” [Politico / Kyle Cheney and Maeve Sheehey]
• The remarks were quickly condemned by the former president’s critics. “Trump uses language he knows caused the Jan 6 violence,” Rep. Liz Cheney, (R-WY), vice chair of the congressional committee investigating the insurrection, tweeted. “He’d do it all again if given the chance.” [NBC/ Teaganne Finn]
• While Trump has not yet said he will run for president in 2024, his comments have suggested that he will. [Axios]
• During his time in office, Trump issued several pardons to people close to him, including for his former chief strategist Steve Bannon and his former national security adviser Michael Flynn. [Guardian / Martin Pengelly]
• Fani T. Willis, the Georgia prosecutor investigating Trump for possible interference in that state’s 2020 presidential election, has asked for FBI protection in response to Trump’s rally. Willis cited “alarming” rhetoric: Trump told his supporters to protest in DC, New York City, and Atlanta, all places where he faces investigations, if prosecutors “do anything wrong.” [NYT / Richard Fausset]

Boris Johnson faces "partygate" reckoning

• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized on Monday after a watchdog report found that gatherings he and his staff held during Covid-19 lockdowns, a group of parties collectively dubbed “partygate,” were a “serious failure” to respect government standards and the British public. [NBC/ Alexander Smith]
• “Against the backdrop of the pandemic, when the government was asking citizens to accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives, some of the behavior surrounding these gatherings is difficult to justify,” the report, commissioned by Johnson’s government amid the growing scandal, read. [AP / Jill Lawless]
• The report focused on four out of 12 parties. The London police asked that Sue Gray, the civil servant who authored the report, withhold her conclusions about the remaining eight events, as they’re under investigation by law enforcement. [CNN / Max Foster and Niamh Kennedy] 
• Johnson is now attempting to shift focus from the scandal by announcing a new post-Brexit law meant to jump-start economic activity and plans to visit Ukraine amid its tensions with Russia this week. [Guardian / Jessica Elgot]

The Lunar New Year begins February 1, ushering in the Year of the Tiger, an animal known for “bravery, courage, and strength.” [USA Today / Jordan Mendoza]

• Polar bears have taken over an abandoned weather station in the Arctic. [Guardian / Dmitry Kokh]
• Italian President Sergio Mattarella, 80, wanted to retire, but his prime minister convinced him to stay amid a political stalemate. [Politico / Hannah Roberts]
• Rihanna is expecting her first child with boyfriend A$AP Rocky. [NPR / Rachel Treisman]

“He defended the actions of his supporters, who stormed the Capitol and brutally attacked the law enforcement officers protecting it. I think it’s important to shout that out and call that out...And it’s just a reminder of how unfit he is for office.”

[White House press secretary Jen Psaki respond’s to Trump’s comments during a press briefing / The Hill]

Sean Illing talks with Dan Pfeiffer, former senior adviser to President Obama and co-host of the Pod Save America podcast, about what's wrong with the Democratic Party's brand right now. [Spotify]

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