ABC’s George Stephanopoulos cuts off an interview with Rep. Byron Donalds on Sunday after the Republican lawmaker denied that Donald Trump wants to pardon Jan. 6 Capitol rioters who assaulted police.
The contentious back-and-forth began after Stephanopoulos asked Donalds about comments Trump made at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in which he pledged to pardon Jan. 6 rioters including those who attack police officers.
“Trump also said at the convention that he would pardon January 6 rioters who assaulted police officers,” Stephanopoulos asked Donalds, according to a clip highlighted by Mediaite. “Do you support that?”
Donalds accused Stephanopolous of misquoting Trump claiming that the former president actually said “he was going to review every single case.”
“I’ll read it to you right now,” Stephanopoulos responded. “This was Rachel Scott’s question: ‘My question is on those rioters who assaulted officers. Would you pardon those people?’ ‘Oh, absolutely, I would.’ That’s his words.”
“Yes, but you did not leave in was the rest of his comments where he said, yeah, I would, but we want to look at everything on a case-by-case basis,” Donalds responded. “That’s what will happen.”
Stephanopoulos responded by quoting Trump’s full remarks at NABJ: “He said, ‘If they were innocent, I would pardon them.’ They’ve all been convicted. He said he would pardon those who assaulted police officers.”
“Do you support that or not?” Stephanopoulos pressed.
“You just changed the sound bite,” Donalds responded. “You just changed it. Now you added, ‘if they’re innocent, then I will pardon them.’”
“I didn’t change the sound bite!” Stephanopoulos shot back. “That’s exactly what he said! They’ve been convicted.”
Donalds doubled insisting that Trump said he would look at each case separately before issuing a pardon.
“It is without a doubt that the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia was supercharging these people because of political viewpoints,” Donald said….. “That is a politically motivated system of justice. And you don’t have to look any further than the difference between how the Department of Justice has treated Donald Trump versus how the Department of Justice has treated Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton. What he is talking about is equal — is equal enforcement of the law, not picking and choosing because of your politics.”
“We were talking about assaults on police officers. People who were convicted for assaults on police officers, which the president has said he would pardon them. Thank you very much for your time,” Stephanopoulos said before ending the interview as Donalds tried to respond.
