Portrait of John Thune
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John Thune on January 6th

Avoids specific endorsement (moderate)

TL;DR

John Thune avoids endorsing or opposing presidential pardons for January 6th defendants, emphasizing moving forward.

Key Points

  • Stated he was not looking backward but looking forward when pressed on pardons for January 6th defendants in January 2025.

  • Joined fellow Republicans in blocking the establishment of a January 6th insurrection investigation commission in May 2021.

  • Did not state support or opposition to presidential pardons for those convicted of crimes related to the January 6th attack.

Summary

Senator John Thune signaled a desire to move past the events of January 6th, particularly concerning presidential actions related to individuals charged from that day. When asked about sweeping pardons granted by the president for those involved in the Capitol attack, the Senator stated that the focus should be on looking forward rather than looking backward at Trump's first term promises.

He did not explicitly support or oppose the clemency decisions, which included individuals who assaulted police officers, reflecting a broader Republican strategy of praising the former president when in agreement and largely ignoring areas of disagreement to maintain party unity. This general stance aligns with the party's approach of downplaying the violence of the attack and seeking to put the incident behind them in favor of focusing on future policy issues.

Key Quotes

“I think they were case-by-case.”

Frequently Asked Questions

John Thune generally takes a position of not looking backward at the January 6th attack, often emphasizing the need for the country to move forward. He has not been vocal in condemning the actions of the day nor has he strongly supported actions aimed at investigating the event.

No, John Thune joined other Republicans in blocking the creation of a commission intended to investigate the January 6th insurrection in May 2021. His action indicated a preference against a formal, bipartisan probe into the attack.

Regarding sweeping pardons for January 6th defendants, John Thune declined to take a clear side, stating that he and others were focused on looking forward rather than dwelling on past promises. He did not express support or opposition to the clemency action.