"Historical Patterns: US Pardons for Insurrectionists and Their Link to Rising Racism"

A man convicted for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection displays his pardon from President Donald Trump. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images by Joseph Patrick Kelly, College of Charleston and David Cason, University of North Dakota Trump's pardons for insurrectionists echo historical precedents but lack restorative outcomes. Similar to Johnson and Grant, these actions fostered racial violence instead of unity, demonstrating the cyclical nature of political clemency and its repercussions on societal harmony. The past warns us of repeating these grave mistakes.