In an opinion poll conducted by Northeast Valley News over the past month, 71% of Arizonans who spoke with NEVN revealed ongoing disgust over the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and Trump’s promise of pardons.
“No one watching the videos of those thugs rushing on our Capitol could see anything but a lust for violence,” said Jay Boyle a Navy veteran and retired businessman who moved to the Valley 23 years ago after living in Michigan.
“If Donald Trump pardon’s any one of those criminals he will be opening the door to breaking every law on the books, not to mention dishonoring those who vowed to protect our Capitol and the elected leaders who were inside and scared for their lives!”
The truth is, no one can be sure what President-elect Trump will do with regard to the Jan. 6 rioters.
More than 1,580 individuals were criminally charged, many prosecuted and sentenced and while Trump has made some lofty claims about a full pardoning of those charged and convicted of Jan. 6 crimes, he appears to be sending mixed messages lately. Reportedly Trump has suggested “many “will be pardoned though he has also signaled there could be exceptions for those who “got out of control.”
Cynthia Rodriguez of Chandler told Northeast Valley News she hopes that the majority of Arizonans will join her and boycott watching the inauguration in large part because of Trump’s promise to pardon those who stormed the U.S. Capitol.
“I come from a law enforcement family and I can easily see one of my loved ones being hurt in that riot simply because they were protecting innocent people.”
According to Pew Research Center, only (46%) of Americans say they plan to watch as Donald Trump takes the presidential oath of office on Friday, while 51% say they do not intend to watch the inauguration.
The same Pew Research data shows that despite overall Republican support for the president-elect and his plans—even Republicans are less enthusiastic about watching Trump’s
inauguration than Democrats were about watching Obama’s eight years ago (69% of Republicans today, compared with 84% of Democrats in 2009).
Interestingly, Republicans also were more interested in watching Obama’s inaugural in 2009 than Democrats are in watching Trump’s this week. In 2009, nearly half of Republicans and Republican leaners (47%) planned to watch Obama take the oath of office.
Even if they were offered a ticket to the inauguration, many Americans say they would not attend it.
Just 39% of Americans say they would attend this year’s inauguration if offered a ticket; 43% said they would in 2009.
