JD Crowe: ‘Con Air’ conman Trump pardons violent J6 terrorists

This is an opinion cartoon

As you know, I’m always looking for an Alabama angle in news and politics. “Con Air” is a 1997 American action film and cult classic starring Nicolas Cage as Cameron Poe, an Army Ranger who returns from Desert Storm to his pregnant wife in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama. Things go awry when Poe is attacked by three drunk dudes and he accidentally kills one of ‘em in self-defense. Eight years later, our hero Poe is paroled and boards a flight to Alabama on the Jailbird, a converted JPATS prison transport plane. Most of the inmates boarding the flight are high-risk convicts - much like the violent but cuddly “hostages and tourists” Trump pardoned this week - hence the name “Con Air.” Sounds like the perfect get-away vehicle for Trump’s pardoned. And for felonious Trump himself.

So, what are folks saying about Trump’s pardons of his first term J6 insurrection team? Let’s start with The Wall Street Journal via NJ.com:

‘Back the blue?’: Wall Street Journal drags Trump over Jan. 6 pardons

In a scathing opinion piece, the board criticized Trump’s decision to pardon 1,500 rioters charged with crimes in connection to their actions on Jan. 6, including assaulting law enforcement officers. Trump’s move has been met with backlash from both sides of the aisle, including a handful of Senate Republicans.

From The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board:

This is a rotten message from a President about political violence done on his behalf, and it’s a bait and switch. Asked about Jan. 6 pardons in late November, Mr. Trump projected caution. “I’m going to do case-by-case, and if they were nonviolent, I think they’ve been greatly punished,” he said. “We’re going to look at each individual case.”

Taking cues from the boss, last week Vice President JD Vance drew a clear line: “If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned.”

So much for that. The President’s clemency proclamation commutes prison sentences to time served for 14 named people, including prominent leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who were organized and ready for violence. Then Mr. Trump tries to wipe Jan. 6 clean, with “a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals.”

The Journal also wrote that it’s a “shame” that the same Republicans condemning former President Joe Biden’s last-minute pardons are not doing the same of Trump’s.

Read the whole NJ.com Wall Street Journal story here

What does Alabama’s U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville have to say about Trump’s J6 pardons? Let’s look at John Sharp’s AL.com story:

‘Mind boggling act of cowardice,’ late-night comedian says of Tuberville’s pardon reaction

“Late Show” host Stephen Colbert called out Tuberville for a “mind-boggling act of cowardice” based on a response the senator gave to reporters when asked to react to the pardons, some who assaulted Capitol police officers.

According to ABC News, Tuberville claimed he has “never” seen video footage of rioters beating police officers.

“100 percent, I’m for the -- pardon everyone. They’ve been there long enough. Most of them hadn’t been charged with anything,” Tuberville told the news station.

ABC News then asked Tuberville about rioters who attacked police officers, beating them with fire hydrants and metal batons.

“I didn’t see that,” Tuberville told ABC News.

When asked if that’s acceptable, Tuberville said “No, that’s not acceptable, but I didn’t see it. I don’t believe it because I didn’t see it. Now, if I see it, I would believe it, but I didn’t see in that video.”

Congressional Republicans have been asked in recent days for their responses to Trump’s pardons to the rioters. He also commuted the sentences of 14 people in the Proud Boy or Oath Keepers who were charged with seditious conspiracy.

The reactions have been mixed, though some Republicans have urged Americans to move on and not look backwards.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he felt it was not “his place” to question Trump’s pardons, and that he would not “second-guess” Trump’s actions.

Colbert, during his monologue, shot back: “Not your place? They attacked the House of Representatives. That is literally your place.”

Read all of John Sharp’s Colbert Tuberville story here

And here’s a strong NYT story: I Prosecuted the Capitol Rioters. They Have Never Been More Dangerous.

Before we part, let’s hear some positive headlines about Trump’s forgiveness of his unhinged henchmen’s sins:

Florida man arrested in Jan. 6 riots back in jail a day after Trump pardoned him

Freed Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio vows vengeance after Trump pardon

And what about the buffalo-horned face of Trump’s insurrection, that QAnon Shaman guy? How’s he doing now that he’s been pardoned?

“I JUST GOT THE NEWS FROM MY LAWYER... I GOT A PARDON BABY!” he wrote on X Monday. “THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP!!! NOW I AM GONNA BUY SOME MOTHA FU*KIN GUNS!!! I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!”

Lordy. They’re loose. We’ve been warned.

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JD Crowe is the cartoonist for AL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix. Give him a holler at jdcrowe@al.com.