Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Two of the most vulnerable Republican senators ahead of the 2026 midterms voiced pushback to President Donald Trump’s sweeping pardons of January 6 defendants on Tuesday.Why It MattersTrump issued pardons for those convicted of crimes during the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building as one of his first actions in office on Monday.He and other conservatives have argued the January 6 rioters were treated unjustly by former President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ), but critics point out that the riot, which disrupted Congress’ 2020 election certification, did grow violent.What to KnowRepublican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have expressed criticism of Trump’s pardons of Capitol rioters. Collins and Tillis are considered two of the most vulnerable GOP senators in Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. The Maine senator will likely be a target for Democrats, as former Vice President Kamala Harris won Collins’ state in last year’s presidential election. Democrats will also likely make a strong push for Tillis’ seat in North Carolina, a state that Trump won by 3 points.
President Donald Trump speaks at the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. during his inauguration.
President Donald Trump speaks at the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. during his inauguration.
CHIP SOMODEVILLA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Collins responded to the pardons issued by Trump in a statement to Newsweek. She said that while she believes “some Americans were caught up in the crowd on January 6 and may well deserve the clemency President Trump has given,” there is a “great difference between violent crimes and non-violent crimes.””I do not support pardons given to people who engaged in violence on January 6, including assaulting police officers, or breaking windows to get into the Capitol, for example,” Collins said.Collins also criticized several of Biden’s clemency decisions he announced on his way out of office, including preemptive pardons for his son Hunter Biden and other family members.”This has been a terrible week for our justice system. Violence must never be tolerated in America,” Collins said.Tillis also raised questions about the pardons in remarks to the media, as reported by Reuters.”Clearly, with the sheer number, there were people that got swept up in it, and I’m okay if they did something dumb in the heat of the moment. That’s one thing. But look, you make this place less safe if you send the signal that police officers could potentially be assaulted and there is no consequence. It’s pretty straight forward to me,” Tillis said.Collins and Tillis are set to be decisive votes on parts of Trump’s agenda, and they are likely to spend the next two years trying to hold on to support from moderate voters, while also trying to avoid the ire of the president, to win re-election in competitive states.Democrats, meanwhile, are hoping to pick up a few Senate seats, especially if there is a “blue wave” like in 2018, and the seats currently occupied by Collins and Tillis are the viewed as among their strongest opportunities.Newsweek reached out to the White House and Tillis’ office on Tuesday via email for comment,What People Are SayingRepresentative Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, said on X (formerly Twitter): “Trash everywhere. Doors and windows smashed and breached. Cops viciously attacked. Feces smeared on the walls of our national symbol. I was there on January 6. One of the last people on the House Floor. It was a disgrace. Pardoning the traitors and terrorists who did it is an endorsement of political violence and rioting.”Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, wrote on X: “It’s over. It’s finally over. J6’ers are being released TONIGHT!! Never forget what the Democrats did and how they prosecuted J6’ers but NOT Antifa and BLM. Never again!!!What Happens NextMany of the January 6 defendants have already been released. Meanwhile, Trump is expected to continue taking actions to enact his agenda.
