Meet Pamela Hemphill, a January 6 rioter who denied Trumps pardon after she switched perspectives.
Wednesday, 12 Mar 2025
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per gpb.org:
“I broke the law that day, period. Black and white,”Pamela Hemphill told NPR’s All Things Considered of the role she regrets playing at the Capitol that day. “I’m not a victim, I’m a volunteer.”
Fueled by Trump’s repeated lies that the election had been rigged against him and his supporters, Hemphill was among those who stormed into the halls of Congress, leading lawmakers to flee and hide.
Taking a pardon now in light of her actions, Hemphill said, “would be a slap in the face to the Capitol police officers, to the rule of law and to our whole nation.”
Owning up to her offenses. Good on her. She’s a model.
Respect for someone who can look at their past mistakes and say “Yes. I was wrong, I fucked up, and I’m trying to be a better person.”
She should be the one who should be pardoned. She learned her lesson and in no way feels entitled to it. She opened her eyes and saw this for what it was.
Prob shouldn’t post a pic of her. The radical right loves sending death threats like the taliban smh
Pamela Hemphill’s choice to refuse Trump’s pardon is a clear sign that people can break free from the echo chambers of extreme politics. She realized her actions weren’t worth defending, and that’s something we should all learn from.
People can grow.
1,500 people released to be in the tRump army.
Hi! I’m from Idaho! Can I say it’s nice for our state to make national news for something other than white nationalism, backwards ass politics, or horrific true crime stories? We truly are a lovely state…aside from…y’know, those things.
Watch her get demonized
Ether your for trump or against him and he doesn’t pardon people against him
The one person who might actually deserve the pardon turns it down
I’d be interested to know what made her switch.
I feel the only way to come back from this is to amplify people like her in every way possible.
Almost half the country needs cult reprogramming
I appreciate the sentiment but a presidential pardon takes effect regardless. It’s not something you can deny. No DA would touch anything she did that day with a ten foot pole even if new evidence came out about her.
But she is making a stand at least
A true American.
There are lots of Republican voters who aren’t bad people. There are also lots of Democrat voters who aren’t bad people. Let’s not forget our Independent voter friends as well.
She’s just standing for what she believes is right.
Is she right or wrong? Who are we to judge her thought process?
I voted for Trump but does that mean I shun this woman? Absolutely not. Does she have a point? Absolutely.
That whole day was a shit show I’m not proud of as a Republican but I firmly stand behind this woman for standing her ground and owning her unpopular choice.
The only set of balls between the 1500+ of them and it a woman! 🧍♀️
The only one who likely deserves it, ironically.
I believe in a merciful justice system when people demonstrate genuine contrition for their actions. I once heard from a nun/sister when I was a kid, “We should never be defined by the worst thing we did in our lives.” That’s always stuck with me.
Unfortunately the vast majority of those insurrectionists pardoned did not learn their lesson.
💚♥️ I saw her interview, she even campaigned for Kamala, in Idaho, a stronghold for militia men groups. She knows the inner workings of these groups and is so much happier now, after leaving that life and its influence.
When Dems get back into power, she should be on a task force to help solve problems.
She has already served her two-month sentence. The only thing the pardon did was end her probation. And you can’t refuse or deny a blanket pardon.
This lady is a [liar, grifter and attention-seeker](https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-press/the-unlikely-stories-pam-hemphill-idaho/277-7c72e2af-7d85-46ef-9b91-b4715f092111), not a brave and principled hero.
You can actually see the remorse and sorrow in her eyes. Fair play to her for taking accountability for her actions.
Easy when you only got 60 days while four years out others are still waiting in prison without being charged.
This is not a hopeful or feel good kind of story. She served 60 days and was long since out of jail before the pardon. She did not choose to stay incarcerated like these posts titles suggest. Accepting or not accepting said pardon had practically zero impact on her present or future.
What sucks the most about this is that she’s the only one who might even, a tiny bit, deserve the pardon. And the other unapologetic violent seditionists don’t, at all, but they’re out to create more havoc anyway. MLK said “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” And I wanted to believe it… but he was wrong. There is no such thing as justice. The utmost evil in our world has been rewarded with money and power beyond reach, and its game over.
She restored a little Bit of humanity back Into our society.
Just go home Pamela
Yeah but the reason she chose to stay is the same reason she should be released
Not the smartest thing to do, but then to storm the capital wasn’t the smartest move either
I mean not the call I would make but hey, you do you lady, I won’t begrudge you your principals.
Looks like Melissa Leo.
We already did with the 127 other post of her in the last couple days
What a great person!
1 😳
Easier for her to reject it when she was free and not behind bars. If she had a big sentence like the others I bet she would have accepted
Huh, I didn’t know you could refuse a pardon. I learned something new today.
Good for her to own up and take responsibility. I wish more people would do that.
Literally the only January 6er worth listening to
I wish she could tell us what angle would work with people like she used to be. A lot of us are at wits end trying to convince lost souls they’re lost. Somehow something got through to her. Was it a fluke? Or is there something we can learn from her thought process that led her down the dark path and then back again?