DeSantis to consider issuing pardons for Trump, Jan 6 defendants if elected President

Just a day after announcing his presidential bid, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis revealed what his day one in the White House would look like if he wins the 2024 US Presidential polls. Featuring on the 'The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show' on Thursday, the Republican said that his first agenda would be to grant pardons to all the defendants of the Jan 6, including his once-ally Donald Trump.

“On day one, I will have folks that will get together and look at all these cases, who people are victims of weaponization or political targeting, and we will be aggressive in issuing pardons,” he said when questioned if he would consider doing it. “I would say any example of disfavored treatment based on politics, or weaponization would be included in that review, no matter how small or how big,” he added. 

During the podcast, the presidential hopeful hit out at the FBI and the Justice Department over their aggressive approach in pursuing probes into the US Capitol riots of Jan 6, 2021. It comes on the heels of the Department saying earlier this month that 1,033 people were apprehended in connection to the attack, while 485 others were sentenced for partaking in criminal activities. 

DeSantis slams FBI, Justice Department 

The governor also accused the FBI of targeting anti-abortion groups and parents willing to attend board meetings in school. He vowed that if he becomes president, he would decide on a “case-by-case” basis if the government was weaponised against particular groups.

“We’re going to find examples where the government’s been weaponized against disfavored groups, and we will apply for relief as appropriate, but it will be done on a case-by-case basis,” he said. DeSantis' presidential aspirations and promises come after he launched his campaign for the White House on Wednesday at a Twitter Spaces event with CEO Elon Musk. The event, held on a live stream, experienced several disruptions and tech glitches.