Newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump’s proclamation pardoning more than 1,500 defendants involved in the so-called “insurrection” of January 6, 2021, has elicited a statement from a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (and a former Kansas City mayor) Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) condemning Trump’s actions.
In the spirit of full disclosure, let me make it plain here that I am not a fan of Cleaver, who, as a Methodist pastor, also goes by “Reverend Cleaver.” I have written about him several times before in American Thinker, of which one example can be found here.
Cleaver’s statement about the pardons of those charged in the events of Jan. 6 reads as follows:
January 6, 2021, was one of the darkest days in American history. As the world looked on and Americans witnessed with their own eyes, President Trump incited an insurrection in an effort to illegally extend his hold on the presidency and prevent the peaceful transfer of power. As a result of the chaos and violence that ensued, more than 100 police officers were injured, several died of their injuries, and the U.S. Capitol building was desecrated, with blood, feces, and other bodily fluids smeared within the halls of Congress. As I reflect on the horrors of that day, it is deeply shocking, but not the least bit surprising.
Hellbound and Down 