When Pardons Go Sideways: A Predictable Outcome
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries once articulated a concern, noting that crimes had been committed by individuals pardoned by Donald Trump, with some of these being violent in nature, after their release back into society. Many of us, myself included, might have thought, “What could possibly go wrong?” Now, we’re seeing the unsettling reality of those concerns play out, proving that sometimes, even a presidential pardon isn’t a magic wand for common sense.
The Unfortunate Sequel: Moynihan’s Encore Performance
It appears one Christopher Moynihan, 34, from upstate New York, didn’t quite get the memo on responsible citizenship after his clemency. Moynihan, who was previously pardoned by President Trump for his role in the January 6th events [1], [4], [6], has now been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. New York State Police confirm he faces charges for making a terroristic threat [1], [6].
This isn’t some abstract political talking point; this is a real person, pardoned just nine months ago, now accused of trying to inflict violence on a sitting public official [4]. It makes you wonder what, exactly, these pardons were intended to accomplish beyond, perhaps, a political gesture.
The Foreseeable Future: Warnings Unheeded
As Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, bluntly put it: “I said on the very day that Donald Trump pardoned 1,600 people en masse without obviously studying the details of each individual case, that President Trump and his administration would be responsible for whatever happens with these people” [1]. That statement, made during a press event with Jeffries, now rings with a particularly grim resonance. Jeffries himself noted that the arrested individual, like “thousands of violent felons who stormed the US Capitol during the January 6th attack, was pardoned by Donald” [7].
It’s not rocket science. When you release individuals back into society who demonstrated a willingness to engage in political violence, especially without a thorough individual review, you’re essentially rolling the dice. And sometimes, those dice don’t land so well. This incident serves as a stark reminder that accountability, or the lack thereof, often has a way of circling back. Maybe, just maybe, proper vetting before granting blanket clemency isn’t such a radical idea after all.
Sources & Footnotes
- https://abcnews.go.com/US/hakeem-jeffries-death-threat-arrest/story?id=126723774 ↩
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCRnp8GPQ8U ↩
- https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQHtZLugJ3_/ ↩
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pardoned-capitol-rioter-charged-threatening-hakeem-jeffries-nyc-trump/ ↩
- https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/21/jan-6-rioter-charged-hakeem-jeffries-00616481 ↩
- https://abc7.com/post/man-pardoned-storming-capitol-is-charged-threatening-kill-hakeem-jeffries/18052485/ ↩
- https://jeffries.house.gov/2025/10/21/leader-jeffries-statement-on-death-threat-and-rearrest-of-convicted-january-6th-offender/ ↩
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