Pamela Hemphill, a woman from Idaho known as the "MAGA Granny," has said she would reject a pardon from President-elect Donald Trump for her involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. Hemphill spent 60 days in jail after pleading guilty to charges related to the riot.
A retired drug abuse counsellor, Hemphill had supported Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections. She attended the &ldquo;Stop the Steal&rdquo; rally on January 6 and entered the Capitol during the riot. The FBI later identified her from photos taken inside the building. She was sentenced to two months in prison after admitting to a felony charge of parading, protesting, or picketing within the Capitol.
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In a post on social media platform X, Hemphill said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to be bullied by MAGA anymore, as those who went as far as calling my Probation Officer trying to get me in trouble backfired on them, thinking I would stop speaking out, just give me more confidence to continue! I will refuse a pardon from felon Trump!&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m5y19di5-xfem4xt7-usa4wpl7">
I&rsquo;m not going to be bullied by MAGA anymore, as those who went as far as calling my Probation Officer trying to get me in trouble backfired on them, thinking I would stop speaking out, just give me more confidence to continue! I will refuse a pardon from felon Trump!&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/WwCAcxduZh">https://t.co/WwCAcxduZh</a>
&mdash; Pam Hemphill (@PamHemphill79) <a href="https://twitter.com/PamHemphill79/status/1878543204989157735?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
Her comments came in response to a post by former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger, who also said that he would reject a presidential pardon from Biden to shield him from retaliatory measures by Trump administration. Kinzinger had served on the bipartisan committee that investigated the Capitol riot.
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Trump, set to begin his second term on January 20, has vowed to pardon January 6 rioters on his first day in office. These rioters, many of whom were Trump supporters, stormed the Capitol while lawmakers were certifying Joe Biden&rsquo;s victory in the 2020 presidential election.
In 2023, Trump also mentioned Hemphill&rsquo;s case on his social media platform, Truth Social, claiming her punishment was harsher than that of Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden&rsquo;s son. Hemphill criticised Trump for politicising her sentencing, saying he was &ldquo;using&rdquo; her for his own agenda.
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At the time she said, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a victim of Jan 6, I pleaded guilty because I was guilty!&rdquo; She also tagged Trump in the post.
In an interview with USA Today in August, Hemphill said she now accepts responsibility for her actions and described January 6 as the &ldquo;worst day in our history.&rdquo; She added that she had been &ldquo;brainwashed&rdquo; by Trump supporters.
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Hemphill&rsquo;s comments have drawn praise on social media. One user wrote, &ldquo;Thank you, Pam, for waking up. You are what scares them the most.&rdquo; Another commented, &ldquo;Thank you for standing up and saying this,&rdquo; while a third added, &ldquo;Big respect, Pam. I&rsquo;m proud of you.&rdquo;
(With inputs from agencies)

Trending, World: US President-elect Donald Trump, set to begin his second term on January 20, has vowed to pardon January 6 rioters on his first day in office.

Pamela Hemphill, a woman from Idaho known as the "MAGA Granny," has said she would reject a pardon from President-elect Donald Trump for her involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot. Hemphill spent 60 days in jail after pleading guilty to charges related to the riot. A retired drug abuse counsellor, Hemphill had supported Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections. She attended the “Stop the Steal” rally on January 6 and entered the Capitol during the riot. The FBI later identified her from photos taken inside the building. She was sentenced to two months in prison after admitting to a felony charge of parading, protesting, or picketing within the Capitol. Also read: Flags to fly full-staff on Trump Inauguration Day, US Speaker Mike Johnson announces In a post on social media platform X, Hemphill said, “I’m not going to be bullied by MAGA anymore, as those who went as far as calling my Probation Officer trying to get me in trouble backfired on them, thinking I would stop speaking out, just give me more confidence to continue! I will refuse a pardon from felon Trump!” I’m not going to be bullied by MAGA anymore, as those who went as far as calling my Probation Officer trying to get me in trouble backfired on them, thinking I would stop speaking out, just give me more confidence to continue! I will refuse a pardon from felon Trump!… https://t.co/WwCAcxduZh — Pam Hemphill (@PamHemphill79) January 12, 2025 Her comments came in response to a post by former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger, who also said that he would reject a presidential pardon from Biden to shield him from retaliatory measures by Trump administration. Kinzinger had served on the bipartisan committee that investigated the Capitol riot. Also read: Watch: SpaceX rocket with US and Japanese lunar landers launched from Florida Trump, set to begin his second term on January 20, has vowed to pardon January 6 rioters on his first day in office. These rioters, many of whom were Trump supporters, stormed the Capitol while lawmakers were certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. In 2023, Trump also mentioned Hemphill’s case on his social media platform, Truth Social, claiming her punishment was harsher than that of Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son. Hemphill criticised Trump for politicising her sentencing, saying he was “using” her for his own agenda. Also read: Indian govt panel recommends action against individual with 'earlier criminal links' At the time she said, “I’m not a victim of Jan 6, I pleaded guilty because I was guilty!” She also tagged Trump in the post. In an interview with USA Today in August, Hemphill said she now accepts responsibility for her actions and described January 6 as the “worst day in our history.” She added that she had been “brainwashed” by Trump supporters. Also read: Ex-US vice prez Mike Pence said THIS about his meeting with former boss Donald Trump Hemphill’s comments have drawn praise on social media. One user wrote, “Thank you, Pam, for waking up. You are what scares them the most.” Another commented, “Thank you for standing up and saying this,” while a third added, “Big respect, Pam. I’m proud of you.” (With inputs from agencies)

'I was guilty': US Capitol rioter says ‘will refuse a pardon from felon Trump'

More than 1000 public figures in the United States participated in the Capitol riot and aided former President Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election as per the Insurrection Index.

Many of these people are either current or former government employees at the federal, state or local level. 213 of them are incumbents in elected office and 29 are running as candidates for positions of power in the upcoming election.

The list also includes 59 military veterans, 31 current law enforcement officials, and seven people on local school boards.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympic-gold-medallist-klete-keller-charged-for-role-in-us-capitol-riots-356682">Also read |&nbsp;Olympic gold-medallist Klete Keller charged for role in US Capitol riots</a>

Insurrection Index is a searchable database of records on individuals and organizations in positions of public trust who were involved in the deadly attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

It is the brainchild of Public Wise, a non-partisan organization that aims to ensure fair and equitable voting rights in the US.

“These are folks who silenced the voices of American voters, who took a validly held election and created fraudulent information to try to silence voters. They have no business being near legislation or being able to affect the lives of American people,” said Christina Baal-Owens, the executive director of Public Wise.

Trump on Tuesday called off a planned press conference to mark one year since the riot and said he was cancelling the event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida "in light of the total bias and dishonesty" of the congressional committee probing the assault by his supporters, and of the media.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/did-the-simpsons-forecast-us-capitol-riots-more-predictions-inside-278321">Also see |&nbsp;Did The Simpsons forecast US Capitol riots? More predictions inside!</a>

Around 140 police officers were assaulted during the riot, according to the Justice Department. One officer who battled rioters died the day after the attack and four who guarded the Capitol later died by suicide.&nbsp;

Four rioters also died, including one who was shot by police as she tried to climb inside the building through a shattered window.

The US Congress' probe of the deadly January 6 assault on the Capitol by Donald Trump supporters soon begins weeks of public hearings that will put the investigation in the spotlight as campaigning intensifies for the November elections.

The probe into the worst attack on Congress since the War of 1812 has largely played out behind closed doors so far.&nbsp;

The House of Representatives Select Committee on January 6 has interviewed more than 300 witnesses about the violence by Trump supporters seeking to overturn his election defeat and Trump's response to it.

(With inputs from agencies)

More than 1000 public figures in the United States participated in the Capitol riot and aided former President Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election as per the Insurrection Index.

More than 1000 public figures in the United States participated in the Capitol riot and aided former President Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election as per the Insurrection Index. Many of these people are either current or former government employees at the federal, state or local level. 213 of them are incumbents in elected office and 29 are running as candidates for positions of power in the upcoming election. The list also includes 59 military veterans, 31 current law enforcement officials, and seven people on local school boards. Also read | Olympic gold-medallist Klete Keller charged for role in US Capitol riots Insurrection Index is a searchable database of records on individuals and organizations in positions of public trust who were involved in the deadly attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. It is the brainchild of Public Wise, a non-partisan organization that aims to ensure fair and equitable voting rights in the US. “These are folks who silenced the voices of American voters, who took a validly held election and created fraudulent information to try to silence voters. They have no business being near legislation or being able to affect the lives of American people,” said Christina Baal-Owens, the executive director of Public Wise. Trump on Tuesday called off a planned press conference to mark one year since the riot and said he was cancelling the event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida "in light of the total bias and dishonesty" of the congressional committee probing the assault by his supporters, and of the media. Also see | Did The Simpsons forecast US Capitol riots? More predictions inside! Around 140 police officers were assaulted during the riot, according to the Justice Department. One officer who battled rioters died the day after the attack and four who guarded the Capitol later died by suicide. Four rioters also died, including one who was shot by police as she tried to climb inside the building through a shattered window. The US Congress' probe of the deadly January 6 assault on the Capitol by Donald Trump supporters soon begins weeks of public hearings that will put the investigation in the spotlight as campaigning intensifies for the November elections. The probe into the worst attack on Congress since the War of 1812 has largely played out behind closed doors so far. The House of Representatives Select Committee on January 6 has interviewed more than 300 witnesses about the violence by Trump supporters seeking to overturn his election defeat and Trump's response to it. (With inputs from agencies)

Over 1000 public figures participated in US Capitol riot, aided Trump’s effort to overturn election

Donald Trump encouraged the Capitol rioters and so earned his Facebook ban, but the social media giant's rules are in "shambles" and need fixing, the co-chair of the network's oversight panel said Sunday.

The panel agreed just days ago that Facebook was right to oust the ex-president for his comments regarding the deadly January 6 rampage, though it sidestepped an overall decision on whether he will ever be allowed back.

"He issued these statements which were just egging on -- with perfunctory asking for peace -- but mostly he was just egging them on to continue," oversight body co-chair Michael McConnell told Fox News Sunday.

Trump was suspended from Facebook and Instagram after posting a video during the attack by his fired-up supporters challenging his election loss, in which he told them: "We love you, you're very special."

"He (Trump) bears responsibility for his situation. He put himself in this bed and he can sleep in it," McConnell added.

However, the panel gave the company six months to justify why his ban should be permanent -- leaving a grenade in Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's lap on the issue of free speech, and spotlighting weaknesses in the platform's plan for self-regulation.

"We gave them (Facebook) a certain amount of time to get... their house in order," McConnell said. "They needed some time because their rules are shambles... They are unclear, they are internally inconsistent."

McConnell, a constitutional law professor at Stanford, noted that the social media giant was not violating Trump's free speech rights.

- 'Facebook is not a government' -

"The simple willing answer is private companies are not bound by the First Amendment," he said referring to the US constitution. "He's a customer. Facebook is not a government, and he is not a citizen of Facebook."

In its ruling, the oversight board -- envisioned by Zuckerberg as the equivalent of a "supreme court" for thorny content decisions -- made additional recommendations on dealing with potentially harmful content from world leaders.

The panel "called on Facebook to address widespread confusion about how decisions relating to influential users are made" and said, "considerations of newsworthiness should not take priority when urgent action is needed to prevent significant harm."

Twitter has permanently suspended Trump after the Capitol riot, saying there was a risk he would further incite violence, due to his multiple tweets disputing Joe Biden's presidential election victory.

Twitter on Thursday confirmed that it had pulled the plug on several Trump-linked accounts trying to skirt the ban.

Social media had been key to Trump's political success, letting him fire off comments without having to explain or back claims.

At a recent hearing on Capitol Hill, US lawmakers unleashed criticism at the leaders of the top social networks and promised new regulations.

Zuckerberg, Twitter's Jack Dorsey, and Google's Sundar Pichai faced questions from lawmakers who blamed their platforms for political extremism, drug abuse, teen suicides and more.

Zuckerberg reiterated his belief that private companies should not be the judges of truth when it comes to what people say.

Donald Trump encouraged the Capitol rioters and so earned his Facebook ban, but the social media giant's rules are in "shambles" and need fixing, the co-chair of the network's oversight panel said Sunday.

Donald Trump encouraged the Capitol rioters and so earned his Facebook ban, but the social media giant's rules are in "shambles" and need fixing, the co-chair of the network's oversight panel said Sunday. The panel agreed just days ago that Facebook was right to oust the ex-president for his comments regarding the deadly January 6 rampage, though it sidestepped an overall decision on whether he will ever be allowed back. "He issued these statements which were just egging on -- with perfunctory asking for peace -- but mostly he was just egging them on to continue," oversight body co-chair Michael McConnell told Fox News Sunday. Trump was suspended from Facebook and Instagram after posting a video during the attack by his fired-up supporters challenging his election loss, in which he told them: "We love you, you're very special." "He (Trump) bears responsibility for his situation. He put himself in this bed and he can sleep in it," McConnell added. However, the panel gave the company six months to justify why his ban should be permanent -- leaving a grenade in Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's lap on the issue of free speech, and spotlighting weaknesses in the platform's plan for self-regulation. "We gave them (Facebook) a certain amount of time to get... their house in order," McConnell said. "They needed some time because their rules are shambles... They are unclear, they are internally inconsistent." McConnell, a constitutional law professor at Stanford, noted that the social media giant was not violating Trump's free speech rights. - 'Facebook is not a government' - "The simple willing answer is private companies are not bound by the First Amendment," he said referring to the US constitution. "He's a customer. Facebook is not a government, and he is not a citizen of Facebook." In its ruling, the oversight board -- envisioned by Zuckerberg as the equivalent of a "supreme court" for thorny content decisions -- made additional recommendations on dealing with potentially harmful content from world leaders. The panel "called on Facebook to address widespread confusion about how decisions relating to influential users are made" and said, "considerations of newsworthiness should not take priority when urgent action is needed to prevent significant harm." Twitter has permanently suspended Trump after the Capitol riot, saying there was a risk he would further incite violence, due to his multiple tweets disputing Joe Biden's presidential election victory. Twitter on Thursday confirmed that it had pulled the plug on several Trump-linked accounts trying to skirt the ban. Social media had been key to Trump's political success, letting him fire off comments without having to explain or back claims. At a recent hearing on Capitol Hill, US lawmakers unleashed criticism at the leaders of the top social networks and promised new regulations. Zuckerberg, Twitter's Jack Dorsey, and Google's Sundar Pichai faced questions from lawmakers who blamed their platforms for political extremism, drug abuse, teen suicides and more. Zuckerberg reiterated his belief that private companies should not be the judges of truth when it comes to what people say.

Donald Trump 'egged on' US Capitol rioters: Facebook oversight panel co-chair

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'I was guilty': US Capitol rioter says ‘will refuse a pardon from felon Trump'

Over 1000 public figures participated in US Capitol riot, aided Trump’s effort to overturn election

Donald Trump 'egged on' US Capitol rioters: Facebook oversight panel co-chair