“Earlier today, my Democratic colleagues and I co-sponsored a resolution to condemn these pardons. One would think that my Republican colleagues who claim to be pro-law enforcement would sign onto this resolution and stand against any action that harms our police.”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) blasted President Trump on the Senate floor for pardoning a drug trafficking kingpin and the violent criminals who assaulted police officers on January 6, 2021. A former prosecutor and Nevada attorney general, Cortez Masto urged her supposedly pro-law enforcement Republican colleagues to join her resolution condemning these pardons.
Below are her remarks as prepared for delivery:
Mr. President, I’m so appreciative of my colleagues coming down here to talk about not only the January 6 pardons that President Trump has done but to stand with the men and women in law enforcement.
When I’m home, quite often I will hear at times that “well, Democrats don’t support law enforcement, they don’t support the men and women who keep our communities safe.” And that’s just not true, as you can see today.
But here’s what I know, and this is why this was devastating to so many men and women who not only are Capitol Police officers right here, who defended our Capitol on January 6, who stand to protect us, but for all of the men and women in law enforcement across this country who are paying attention and watching what this president does.
Will he have their back when the time comes? Will he be there to truly support them in their time of need when they’re doing their job like he says he will?
Now, we’ve spent the last decade hearing Donald Trump talk about “law and order” and cracking down on crime. Last fall, on a national podcast, he called for giving our law enforcement their “dignity back”. Just last week at a White House press conference, he claimed to be a friend of the police.
Well, Donald Trump has been in office for just one week, and already his actions are making it clear that he doesn’t mean what he says. In fact, from his actions we’ve seen so far, he’s actively working against our men and women in law enforcement – not only here who work at this Capitol, but across this country.
Let me put this in starker terms that I think my Republican colleagues will understand. Mr. President, Nevada families across my state have been torn apart by dangerous drugs like methamphetamines and opioids. And that’s true for so many families across the country.
It doesn’t matter if they’re Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, or independents – illicit drug trafficking is impacting everyone in this country.
But last week, Donald Trump pardoned the founder of Silk Road, an underground internet site that oversaw the trafficking of $200 million in illegal drugs and other illicit trade.
The founder was convicted by a jury of his peers and sentenced to life in prison for participating in a criminal organization and distributing narcotics on the internet.
Americans died after purchasing illicit drugs on his website. A website that was specifically designed to skirt the law and support criminal activity.
But now, this founder is walking free because of Donald Trump.
Donald Trump giving a full, unconditional pardon to this drug dealer and criminal profiteer is a slap in the face to the victims of this crisis, and to law enforcement who work to protect our communities and to take drug traffickers like him off our streets.
What Donald Trump has done is not law and order, it’s chaos.
And it’s not just with this one pardon.
Donald Trump has also pardoned more than 130 individuals who were convicted of assaulting police officers right here at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
I was here that day. I remember running into a Capitol Police officer who was pepper-sprayed by a rioter in Donald Trump’s mob. And at the same time that he was washing out his eyes, he was saying to us senators, “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back, and I am standing guard.” And he ran back out to the front of the Capitol. He was doing his job.
That day, those rioters and insurrectionists brought weapons and zip ties to the Capitol, they used WD-40 and bear spray on our officers, and they assaulted Capitol Police with American flags.
This isn’t some political conspiracy – these insurrectionists posted videos online of themselves shoving, punching, and attacking our law enforcement.
And now, instead of serving their time and facing the consequences for the dangerous actions they committed against our police officers, Donald Trump is telling them that not only were they wrongfully punished, but in fact, their behavior on that day is encouraged – as long as they’re doing his bidding.
Criminals convicted of attacking law enforcement are giving TV interviews saying that President Trump’s pardons have vindicated their actions.
This is an endorsement of political violence, and it’s an insult to the men and women who risk their lives every day to keep our families safe.
I know many law enforcement officers personally. As a former prosecutor and attorney general of the state of Nevada, I’ve spent most of my life working with some great men and women in law enforcement.
And by the way, I’m married to one. My husband worked in federal law enforcement his entire career. His priority was doing his job and keeping people safe, because that’s what our law enforcement is trained to do. To put their lives on the line every single time to keep our communities safe.
And it’s not just about the officers – it’s about their families. When you are the spouse or the loved one of an officer who gets that call, sometimes in the middle of the night, and they leave to address some crime or issue and keep your community safe, you don’t know if they’re coming back.
There are two calls that are the worst kind you can get as the spouse of a law enforcement officer. The first one is from your spouse saying “I’m in the hospital, but don’t worry, everything’s okay.” The second one is not from your spouse, but it’s from another law enforcement officer telling you that your husband or wife went out on a call and didn’t come back.
The sacrifices of not only our officers but their loved ones need to be considered. And if we truly believe in law and order and we truly believe that we should support them because they put their lives on the line every single day, then we should have their backs. No matter your politics, we should always be there to support them.
I will always stand up for law enforcement.
I’ve passed legislation to support public safety under administrations of both parties. And I will always speak out when our leaders act against law enforcement, whether they’re a Democrat or a Republican.
I disagreed with President Biden granting pardons to his family, I disagreed when he granted clemency for Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of murdering two FBI agents. And I disagree with President Biden in commuting the sentence of Adrian Peeler, who was convicted of drug trafficking and murder.
I also spoke out when President Biden nominated Adeel Mangi to be a federal judge. I did not support him because of his affiliation with a group that wanted to let cop killers out of prison.
That was me standing up for law enforcement.
So believe me when I say, this is not partisan; this is about standing up for the men and women who put their lives on the line for us every day.
This shouldn’t be hard. You commit a violent crime in our community, you should face the consequences.
Don’t take my word for it – the Fraternal Order of Police, which is the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the world, has condemned Trump’s pardoning of those who assaulted Capitol Police officers on January 6.
But there are too many members of this body, who had the benefit of those Capitol Police officers on January 6 protecting their lives, who have been oddly silent.
Earlier today, my Democratic colleagues and I co-sponsored a resolution to condemn these pardons. One would think that my Republican colleagues who claim to be pro-law enforcement would sign onto this resolution and stand against any action that harms our police.
If we truly believe in law and order and we want to work together to keep our communities safe, we have to not only talk about it, we have to act.
Because the American people deserve better. The American people deserve a president who isn’t going to release violent criminals back into our communities. The American people deserve safety – and our law enforcement, who maintain that safety, deserve to know we have their backs.
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