“I Pleaded Guilty ‘Cause I Was Guilty”: A Jan. 6 Rioter Is Going Viral For Explaining Why She’s Rejecting Trump’s Pardon

Last week, on his first day in office, Donald Trump issued about 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 of his supporters involved in the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol, including those who assaulted police officers.

While some rejoiced over the pardons, that wasn’t the case for Pamela Hemphill, a Jan. 6 rioter who was found guilty and served 60 days in jail. Hemphill is now going viral on social media for rejecting the pardon.

“It would be a slap in the face to the Capitol police officers, the rule of law, you know, to our nation,” Hemphill said in a viral interview clip when asked why she said no to the pardon.

“I pleaded guilty ’cause I was guilty,” she said.

“It would help their narrative that it was a peaceful protest that day,” Hemphill continued. “No, it was not a peaceful protest. It was an insurrection. I don’t want a part of anything that Trump is offering.”

In the comments, people applauded Hemphill for taking accountability and speaking up. One person wrote, “Ma’am… I appreciate your integrity, honesty, and the work you’ve done to educate yourself. Thank you!”

“Wow. I don’t see this ever. Respect for taking accountability,” another user wrote.

“Taking accountability like this requires a lot of bravery and introspection. Knowing how hard it must’ve been for her to accept it all, I really hope she is able to live a peaceful, quiet life,” this person said.

“Thank you for speaking up,” another person remarked.

Hemphill explained on MSNBC that an interaction with her therapist helped her realize that she wasn’t a victim but “a volunteer” in the Jan. 6 attacks and that doing her own fact-checking helped her recognize that there was no fraud in the election. Reflecting on her involvement, she said that she “lost her critical thinking” and has called what she was involved with “a cult.”

For others like herself, she told MSNBC, “You gotta decide for yourself. Do you really want to continue listening to Trump and all his lies or find out if they are lies? Just check it out. Just do some fact-checking. One or two things. I don’t know about you, when somebody’s lied to me, it’s not OK with me.”

Since Pamela Hemphill rejected her pardon, one other person who was convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 attacks, Jason Riddle, has also rejected his pardon.

“It’s almost like [Trump] was trying to say it didn’t happen. And it happened. I did those things, and they weren’t pardonable,” he told New Hampshire Public Radio. 

Hemphill told the Idaho Statesman that she and her attorney plan to file a letter of rejection. The outlet reported that turning down a presidential pardon is possible, citing a US Supreme Court ruling in 1833 (later upheld in 1915). However, some legal experts say commutations and pardons may not depend on defendants’ consent, and the request “could face an uphill battle.”

We’ll keep you posted if any other Jan. 6 rioters reject their pardon. In the meantime, it appears many are delighted.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.