Listen to “Trumpland with Alex Wagner”

Summary

Summary of "Trumpland with Alex Wagner" – The Rachel Maddow Show

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Rachel Maddow Show
• Host: Rachel Maddow, MSNBC
• Episode: Trumpland with Alex Wagner
• Release Date: January 24, 2025
• Description: This special episode delves into the ramifications of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, focusing on his unprecedented decision to pardon approximately 1,500 individuals convicted for their roles in the January 6th Capitol insurrection. Hosted by Alex Wagner, the episode features in-depth interviews with key figures affected by these pardons, including inmates, their families, and law enforcement officers.

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1. Inauguration Day and Immediate Aftermath

Overview: The episode opens with a detailed account of Donald Trump's swearing-in as the 47th President of the United States on a chilly January afternoon in Washington, D.C. The scene is set both inside the Capitol Rotunda, where political elites gather, and outside, where millions worldwide watch with a mix of anxiety and excitement.

Key Points:

• Trump's Vision: Alex Wagner highlights Trump's commitment to "putting America first" from day one of his presidency ([00:31]).
• Immediate Actions: Within hours of his inauguration, Trump issues full pardons to roughly 1,500 defendants involved in the January 6th insurrection ([03:53]).

Notable Quote:

"During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first." – Alex Wagner ([01:32])

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2. The Pardons: Reactions from Supporters

Overview: Alex Wagner explores the immediate reaction to Trump's pardons by visiting a vigil outside the D.C. jail where January 6th defendants are held. The atmosphere is a mix of celebration and anticipation among Trump supporters awaiting the release of their loved ones.

Key Points:

• Supporters' Sentiment: Families and supporters express unwavering loyalty to Trump, viewing the pardons as fulfilled promises ([07:14]).
• Case Study – Ben Pollock: A fervent supporter holding a large American flag shares his personal connection and belief in Trump's steadfastness ([15:03]).

Notable Quotes:

"I would die for the man." – Ben Pollock ([15:04])
"I would have died for him that day." – Ben Pollock ([15:08])

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3. Personal Stories of Pardoned Individuals

Overview: The episode features intimate interviews with those directly affected by the pardons, including former inmates and their families. These stories highlight the complexities and emotional turmoil resulting from their sudden release.

Key Points:

• Rachel Powell’s Experience: Known as the "bullhorn lady," Powell discusses her frustrations with the selective pardons, contrasting her fate with others like Anthony Fauci and Liz Cheney who received pardons despite their differing actions ([17:40]).
• Robert Morse’s Transformation: A former Army Ranger, Morse reflects on his incarceration and newfound freedom, expressing both relief and the challenges of reintegrating into society ([20:06]).

Notable Quotes:

"Do I have to lose my whole life for it when we have these criminals running the government that now have pardons?" – Rachel Powell ([18:49])
"I believe right now, with the system we have with the Democrats and Republicans, our leaders divide us by example." – Ben Pollock ([12:26])

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4. Law Enforcement's Perspective

Overview: Michael Fanone, a former Capitol Police officer who was severely assaulted during the January 6th attack, provides a critical view of Trump's actions. He articulates feelings of betrayal and the erosion of trust in both the government and law enforcement.

Key Points:

• Fanone’s Betrayal: Fanone expresses deep disappointment in Trump, feeling abandoned and betrayed by both the former president and current law enforcement ([28:41]).
• Protective Orders: Following the pardons, Fanone discusses his efforts to seek protective orders against the released individuals who attacked him, highlighting the insecurity and ongoing threats faced by victims ([29:43]).

Notable Quotes:

"I've been betrayed by my country." – Michael Fanone ([28:55])
"American citizens did not show up to take over the government with water bottles." – Michael Fanone ([12:15])

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5. Implications for American Democracy

Overview: Alex Wagner and his interviewees discuss the broader implications of Trump’s pardons on American democracy, the rule of law, and societal divisions. The episode underscores the lasting impact of January 6th and the potential for further erosion of democratic norms.

Key Points:

• Erosion of Trust: The mass pardons exacerbate existing fractures within American society, undermining faith in legal institutions and democratic processes ([30:55]).
• Rewriting History: There is a concerted effort by Trump and his supporters to reframe January 6th as a patriotic act against a perceived deep state, altering the historical narrative ([31:23]).

Notable Quotes:

"In this age of government lawlessness, it's..." – Alex Wagner ([34:07])
"This is the age of lawlessness. If you are a Trump supporter and you commit violent crimes on Trump's behalf, Donald Trump will free you." – Alex Wagner ([30:55])

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6. The Future of Law Enforcement and Public Safety

Overview: The episode concludes with a discussion on the future relationship between law enforcement and the public in the wake of Trump's pardons. Concerns are raised about the potential for increased violence and the deterioration of public trust in police institutions.

Key Points:

• Police Accountability: Critical voices emphasize the lack of accountability for law enforcement officers who failed to protect during the insurrection ([32:06]).
• Safety Concerns: Victims like Fanone face ongoing threats, and the inability to secure long-term protective measures leaves them vulnerable ([34:07]).

Notable Quotes:

"American law enforcement officer responds in a positive way when Donald Trump says things like, we're going to suspend the Constitution and we're going to let you loose in these communities." – Alex Wagner ([34:16])
"This is that example of evil exists and persists when good men do nothing. America is doing nothing." – Michael Fanone ([36:24])

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7. Conclusion: A Fractured Nation

Overview: Alex Wagner wraps up the episode by reflecting on the enduring divisions within the United States and the challenges posed by Trump's presidency. The pardons are portrayed as a catalyst for further discord, threatening the very fabric of American democracy.

Key Points:

• Unhealed Fractures: The pardons have not only failed to heal divisions but have instead deepened the rifts between opposing political factions ([36:24]).
• Ongoing Struggles: The episode emphasizes that the journey to restore unity and trust in democratic institutions will be arduous and fraught with obstacles.

Notable Quotes:

"January 6th was a profoundly devastating moment for American democracy. The peaceful transfer of power, once a sacrosanct part of our unique system of self-governance, was trampled." – Alex Wagner ([36:24])

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8. Production Credits

Produced By:

• Max Jacobs, Julia D'Angelo, Kay Guerrero
• Associate Producer: Jamaris Perez
• Audio: Enrique Larial
• Camera: Liam Lee, Greg Purpura
• Audio Engineers: Bob Mallory, Katie Lau
• Technical Director: Bryson Barnes
• Executive Producers: Matthew Alexander (Alex Wagner Tonight), Aisha Turner (MSNBC Audio)

Closing Remarks: Alex Wagner signs off by encouraging listeners to subscribe to MSNBN Premium for an ad-free experience and exclusive content, highlighting the importance of staying informed as the new administration unfolds.

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Final Thoughts: "Trumpland with Alex Wagner" offers a comprehensive and emotionally charged examination of Donald Trump’s early actions as president, particularly his mass pardons of January 6th defendants. Through personal narratives and expert insights, the episode paints a vivid picture of a nation grappling with integrity, justice, and the resilience of its democratic foundations. This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand the current state of American politics and the enduring impact of the Capitol insurrection.

Transcript

[Alex Wagner]

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[Rachel Powell]

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A note to listeners this podcast contains some explicit language.

[Michael Fanone]

Trump is now officially 47th President of the United States. That happened at noon on the dot. He then took the oath of office very shortly thereafter, his second inaugural address.

[Alex Wagner]

During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Earlier this week, on a very cold afternoon in Washington, D.C. donald John Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. Trump was inside the Capitol Rotunda surrounded by the political, financial and cultural elite. But outside of that room, the ceremony was watched by millions of people the world over. Some were anxious. Others were excited. Everyone was wondering about what a second Trump term will mean for immigration, the economy, the environment, America and the globe. I'm Alex Wagner, host of Alex WAGNER Tonight on MSNBC, and for the first 100 days of this new administration, I'm going to be taking a break from the anchor chair to get out into the field. I'll be going to the front lines and speaking to the players and the principals on both the issuing and receiving ends of Trump's policies. We're calling this news show Trumpland with Alex Wagner. These are conversations we can't always have on TV with people you definitely don't usually see on TV. You'll get a 360 degree view of what's happening both at home and overseas now that Donald Trump is once again President of the United States. This week, I've been reporting on a group of people nervously anticipating what President Trump might do on his very first week back in the White House. President Donald Trump, not wasting any time getting down to business. The convicted defendants of the January 6th insurrection, as well as their families and the police officers who were the victims of the attack itself.

[Alex Wagner]

We want a unified country, they said. Don't talk about the J6 hostages that you're going to be releasing today.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Do you think now that he's pardoned everybody he can count on this group of people again?

[Michael Fanone]

Oh, absolutely. I would die for the man.

[Alex Wagner]

I would have died for him that day. There are no words to describe this moment other than I've been betrayed by my country.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Within hours of taking office, President Trump issued full pardons to roughly 1500 J6 defendants. So on this first episode of Trump Land with Alex Wagner, I'm headed to D.C. but not for the inauguration. We're headed to jail. Foreign.

[Rachel Powell]

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[Michael Fanone]

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[Alex Wagner]

Thank you President for signing those pardons. And as always, as I've told everybody, remember, the President adheres to his promises. Promises made, promises kept, promises made, promises.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Kept, promises made, promises on the campaign trail, Donald Trump talked repeatedly about pursuing pardons for January 6th inmates if he was elected. You could read a lot into the fact that he referred to them as hostages. But this outcome, the blanket pardon of 1500 criminal defendants involved in the Capitol insurrection, is just about the most extreme version of what this might have looked like. Nobody really saw this coming. Even Trump's running mate, just eight days before being sworn in as vice president, J.D. vance, indicated quite strongly that violent offenders would not be granted pardons.

[Alex Wagner]

If you protested peacefully on January 6th, and you've had Merrick Garland's Department of Justice treat you like a gang member. You should be pardoned. If you committed violent on that day. Obviously you shouldn't be pardoned.

[Unnamed Reporter]

But of course, that is exactly what Donald Trump did, literally hours after he was sworn in as president. And there was no better audience for that news on Monday night than the one outside the detention facility in Washington where an estimated 22 January Sixers have been locked up. D.C. jail.

[Alex Wagner]

Praise God. Thank you so much Lord Jesus for doing the good work that we know that you do. Holy Spirit, you're welcome. Here outside the D.C. gulag, we will receiving our J6 hostages by midnight. This is going to happen.

[Unnamed Reporter]

The jail is a multi story concrete building. From where we're standing across the street you can see an intake area with large gates that open for vehicles and barbed wire spooled around the tops of the building. People are gathered in a small open patch of dead grass. It sloped downhill and there's ice everywhere. But for the crowd of 50 ish die hard January 6th supporters, this might as well be a summer barbecue. There's music and singing and dancing. All that's Missing are the hot dogs. Put them hands up, Jason. Put them hands up.

[Michael Fanone]

Grandpa.

[Alex Wagner]

Let's go.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Let's celebrate for our feet. A small group of family and friends has been meeting outside this facility to hold a vigil and sing the national anthem while on the phone with the inmates inside. They've been doing this every night for over 900 days, and they're getting impatient.

[Ben Pollock]

Hey, hey, DC Gulag.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Let our people go.

[Alex Wagner]

Let our people go. Let our people go.

[Unnamed Reporter]

What have you heard about what the President is doing tonight?

[Michael Fanone]

I heard everybody's getting out of jail tonight. We've had several releases across the country.

[Unnamed Reporter]

But no one's come out of D.C. tonight.

[Michael Fanone]

Not yet.

[Unnamed Reporter]

What was. I wasn't here, but what was the reaction like when you heard the news?

[Michael Fanone]

It's amazing, you know, it's what everybody's been waiting for for four years.

[Unnamed Reporter]

One of the main organizers of these vigils is Mickey Whithoff. They call her Mama Mickey, and she's become a second mother for countless January 6th defendants and their families. Mama Mickey is a no bullshit kind of presence at these vigils. Someone who both advocates loudly for the inmates inside the jail and keeps their supporters outside of it in line. She's also the mother of Ashley Babbitt, the only January 6th protester who was shot and killed by Capitol Police. You may have seen the video. A woman trying to climb through one of the doors where glass had been broken out as the mob breaches an area of the Capitol until she's taken down by a shot from a Capitol Police officer. A shot that proved to be fatal. Babbitt was a 35 year old Air Force veteran who had traveled to D.C. from California to be there that day. J6ers consider Babbitt a martyr for their cause and Mama Mickey a representative for family members of those prosecuted. She says she's spoken to Donald Trump multiple times. So the reaction was like, was anybody surprised or everybody thought he was going to let everyone out?

[Michael Fanone]

He said he was. And when I talked to him last week, he said, tell him that he loves him, keep their chins up. And he's been supportive throughout. He's called the vigil and talked to them over the phone. And I am not surprised. And I think anybody that was there that day, even the men that weren't perfectly well behaved, have done enough time and it's time for him to come home.

[Unnamed Reporter]

You'll have to forgive the music in the background, but as I mentioned, this gathering was part vigil, part protest, part celebration. Do you think President Trump's going to suffer any political fallout from parting people.

[Michael Fanone]

He suffers political fallout for whatever he does.

[Unnamed Reporter]

But I just mean for the. There are some folks who were in jail who assaulted law officers.

[Michael Fanone]

There were lots of law officers that assaulted American citizens. You know, and if you think about the fact that, you know, they said that everybody came to overthrow the government. If you think about the fact that it was a gun toting populace of the United States of America that showed up on the Capitol grounds and the only weapon used was the one that was used to kill my daughter. So American citizens did not show up to take over the government with water bottles.

[Unnamed Reporter]

I just wonder if you think the whole country's gonna see it that way.

[Michael Fanone]

No.

[Unnamed Reporter]

So you think he's taking a risk?

[Michael Fanone]

Absolutely.

[Unnamed Reporter]

I'm sure you feel like you're gonna have his back for this. What does that look like?

[Michael Fanone]

Trump supporters will always be Trump supporters. Haters might always be Trump haters unless they give him a chance to be America's president, which I believe he will be a president for all Americans. I believe right now, you know, with the system we have with the Democrats and Republicans, and I think that our leaders, they divide us by example.

[Unnamed Reporter]

As we moved around the crowd, there was an older gentleman giving a speech while holding a huge American flag, one that he says he carried with him on January 6th. It's gigantic, bigger than the bedspread on a California king. It's also flying upside down.

[Michael Fanone]

1,475 days.

[Alex Wagner]

You heard it from first from Mama Mickey. God bless you. God bless the USA. Freedom Bay, baby. Freedom Bay.

[Unnamed Reporter]

His name is Ben Pollack and he's here from Florida. I'm with msnbc. Yeah, so we're out here. We're trying to understand what's happening.

[Michael Fanone]

Yeah, it's about time I got to.

[Alex Wagner]

Talk to you guys.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Well, I've been waiting. Yeah, I'm sure we've been. Well. Well, here we are.

[Michael Fanone]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Reporter]

So here we are.

[Alex Wagner]

The last day.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Yeah. Well, we're the beginning of a whole new chapter.

[Alex Wagner]

That's right.

[Unnamed Reporter]

So you're, you've been out here holding vigil. Who do you, who do you have inside?

[Michael Fanone]

I got Jonathan Pollock and Olivia Pollock.

[Alex Wagner]

We came up, we were all as.

[Michael Fanone]

A family, came up on January 6th.

[Alex Wagner]

And then with our church, and I got, I got friends, Michael Perkins, and he's going to be released out of Coleman in Florida. And then I got another buddy on an ankle monitor.

[Michael Fanone]

All my friends are locked up right now.

[Unnamed Reporter]

What happened with your. Is your son and daughter.

[Alex Wagner]

I want to see yes.

[Unnamed Reporter]

What exactly? What are they in for?

[Michael Fanone]

They're in for about everything.

[Unnamed Reporter]

We looked up the exact charges, and just about everything isn't a bad Description. Jonathan faced 17 counts and multiple alleged felonies, including assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon. In Jonathan's case, that meant charging at police with a flagpole. Among Jonathan's other charges were violent entry, disorderly conduct, and theft of government property. Olivia was charged with multiple felony offenses along similar lines as her brother. She also assaulted police officers who were trying to contain the riot outside the Capitol. Before the two were arrested last year, they were on the lam, running from law enforcement and evading accountability for three years. Now. Their trial, which was supposed to take place next month, has been scrapped, their charges dropped, and their Release from the D.C. jail imminent. Do you think now that he's pardoned everybody, he can count on this group of people again?

[Alex Wagner]

Oh, absolutely.

[Michael Fanone]

I would die for the man.

[Alex Wagner]

I would have died for him that day.

[Unnamed Reporter]

I would die for the man. Here's this father out here in almost zero degree weather, flying a ten foot long American flag, waiting for his children to be released from jail. And his commitment to the guy who landed him in this nightmare is unwavering. So, yeah, I believe Ben Pollock. The police had been maintaining a loose perimeter in front of the jail, insisting everyone stay across the street in the designated vigil area. But at one point, there's some type of commotion coming from inside the jail just beyond the glass doors that block our entry. I think someone's getting out. Should we go across the street? Yeah. All right. So, okay. People start to run towards the front entrance of the jail. In a matter of seconds, there's a large crowd. Dozens of police stream out of the building and from down the street to form a barricade in front of the glass. The loose perimeter they had been maintaining is no longer so loose. The energy in the air is frenzied. Watch out, Leon. Watch out, watch out, watch out, watch out. It's like you're amount of ice. But whatever anyone initially thought, it does not appear anyone is being released. Police start to push us back to the park slowly and thankfully, without issue.

[Alex Wagner]

May I have your attention, please? You guys can protest and say whatever you'd like. From the comfort of the sidewalk and the park, please do not try and come across the street. Thank you.

[Unnamed Reporter]

You're welcome. You're welcome. It ended up just being a brief interaction, but it was tense and it was hard to avoid how on the nose it all felt. January 6th. Participants and their family members rushing towards a line of officers, a reminder of how quickly a crowd can become a mob. And then around 10pm, a couple of well dressed guys, perhaps just arriving after an inaugural ball, come out to announce that two prisoners, brothers Andrew and Matthew Valentine, have been released unceremoniously through a back exit. And it appears that's probably it for tonight. By 11pm, police officers start leaving and so do we. We're back the next day, January 21st, bright and early ish. And so is the crowd. Very, very slowly, inmates from the DC jail are being released. Did you get out today?

[Rachel Powell]

Yes, just a little bit ago.

[Unnamed Reporter]

And you weren't here, right?

[Rachel Powell]

Yes. You weren't here. I was here for the last couple weeks because I was waiting to be re sentenced.

[Unnamed Reporter]

This is Rachel Powell, better known as bullhorn lady or pink hat lady, along with her friend Cynthia Hughes. According to prosecutors, on January 6, Powell was part of a group of rioters who used a cardboard pipe as a battering ram to break a window at the Capitol. She also used an ice axe for a different window. Powell wore a recognizable pink hat and used a bullhorn to give rioters instructions telling them that they needed to coordinate together if they were going to take the building. Powell had only been at the D.C. jail for a few weeks after being moved from Hazelton Federal Prison in West Virginia. She was found guilty of a total of nine felony and misdemeanor offenses and served only one year of her five year sentence. The thing I wonder is, was there ever any moment in, in jail where you were like, why am, like, why am I here? You know, did you ever have any frustration with President Trump? Did you ever feel like, you know, he had landed you guys in jail? No.

[Rachel Powell]

No, absolutely not. Because he really, I believe he really just wants to make America great again. Now, why was I sitting in prison when Anthony Fauci is loose? Why am I sitting in prison when Liz Cheney is loose? Why do those people get pardons? Because they're guilty, but they were never brought to justice. And yet me, a mom, I made a mistake and broke a window at the Capitol. I'm sorry, but do I have to lose my whole life for it when we have these criminals running the government that now have pardons? That bothered me.

[Michael Fanone]

Donald Trump is not responsible for January 6th. Okay? Grown men and grown women, whatever actions they took that day, they are responsible for themselves. And the country spoke loud and proud on November 5th. And they said, Donald Trump is not responsible for January 6th. And that's what we believe.

[Unnamed Reporter]

We met another recent exoneree A younger man, 31 years old, named Robert Morse. Morse has curly long hair, which was being kept in place under a bright red Make America Great Again hat. Morse was one of several people who had been released from a different detention center, but came to Washington to show his support. So my name's Alex. Nice to meet you. When did you get out?

[Ben Pollock]

Last night?

[Unnamed Reporter]

11:45Pm and where were you?

[Ben Pollock]

I was in the Pittsburgh halfway house.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Okay.

[Ben Pollock]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Can you talk? So you were in a halfway house?

[Ben Pollock]

Yes.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Can you explain how that you ended up being there?

[Ben Pollock]

Sure. So on June 11, 2021, I was arrested for my actions on January 6th.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Yeah.

[Ben Pollock]

I spent the next three and a half years in prison. And then on August 29th of last year, I was released from prison to the halfway house in Pittsburgh. And that's where I remained until last night. And instead of going home and going to sleep like I really wish I did right now, I decided to drive here.

[Unnamed Reporter]

In May of 2023, Morse was sentenced to 66 months for several charges, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon. Before January 6th, Morse had served as an Army Ranger and did three tours in Afghanistan. He told me he now feels like a new man.

[Ben Pollock]

I've grown accustomed to being a felon. I've grown accustomed to having weight on my back and essentially trying to get used to the fact that my former, former life was just eradicated. You know, half of my friends and family speak to me anymore. My brothers completely disowned me. My dad, who raised me to fall in love with the Founding Fathers, read the Declaration of independence on 4 July, barely even speaks to me. So this has not been easy. You know, when the Declaration of Independence ends with the last lines of them pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to each other, we kind of know what that's like to have it all taken from us. So it was a beautiful thing and almost like God's poetry to have it slowly returned with the slate being wiped clean and being free at last.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Let me ask you something. You know, you've been through this whole thing.

[Ben Pollock]

Yes.

[Unnamed Reporter]

If Trump comes out and says, this is an issue, that I need you guys to come out for me. I need you guys to show up for me. It may mean taking to the streets. Do you think that the people who just served, you know, years or months or weeks in prison would do that again for him?

[Ben Pollock]

I can't speak for everybody, but I can speak for my myself. And the answer to that question would be yes, I think that Donald Trump is the only politician that we've seen in a long time that is not only willing to keep his word, but also who's not willing to back down when he's up against the wall. I mean, this man's been indicted, he's been attacked, he's been shot at. Hell, I mean, name anybody else that would have been willing to go through that stuff. And he's admitted that he's lost billions of dollars by being president. And so, I mean, whether you like him or you hate him, you gotta respect that this man is not a quitter. And so if this man really needed us to show up somewhere, I can't speak for anybody else, but since he's not gonna quit on the American people, I have no absolute right to quit on him. So I would show up.

[Unnamed Reporter]

We're gonna take a quick break, but when we come back, we'll speak with someone who has risked everything to set the record straight on January 6th, and we'll find out what Trump's pardons have meant for him.

[Alex Wagner]

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[Michael Fanone]

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[Unnamed Reporter]

The other day I saw a meme showing a baby in a womb and.

[Alex Wagner]

It was captioned, this was the last time I slept well.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Now, at first I laughed, but then.

[Alex Wagner]

I got concerned because it was true.

[Unnamed Reporter]

I always figured bad sleep was my fate until I took a leap of.

[Alex Wagner]

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[Unnamed Reporter]

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[Alex Wagner]

At one point I came face to face with an attacker who repeatedly lunged for me and attempted to remove my firearm. I heard chanting from some in the crowd, get his gun and kill him with his own gun.

[Unnamed Reporter]

He said that the rioters called him a traitor and that they only stopped their violent attack after Fanon pleaded that he has children. Fanon resigned from the force 11 months after January 6, reportedly ending his 20 year career in law enforcement with a resignation letter written on a napkin that read go fuck yourselves. On Tuesday, my colleague Peter Alexander asked President Trump about his decision to pardon DJ Rodriguez, the man who tased Fanon during the January 6th insurrection. President Trump didn't have A clear answer.

[Alex Wagner]

You would agree that it's never acceptable to assault a police officer. So then if I can, among those, you pardon DJ Rodriguez. He drove a stun gun into the neck of a D.C. police officer who was abducted by the mob that day. He later confessed on video to the FBI and pleaded guilty for his crimes. Why does he deserve a pardon?

[Unnamed Reporter]

Well, I don't know.

[Alex Wagner]

Is it a pardon? Because we're looking at commutes and we're looking at pardons. Okay, well, we'll take a look at everything.

[Unnamed Reporter]

But I can say this. Murderers today are not even charged. We'd had an interview planned with Fanon the day after the mass pardons, but in the morning, we got word that he was heading to the Prince William County Courthouse in Virginia to seek a protective order against several of the people who had just been pardoned by President Trump for their involvement in the Capitol attack. We were still able to reach him, but by phone. Me inside our car outside of the D.C. detention center and Michael Fanone heading to the courthouse. I'm ready. I'm ready. Are you there, Michael? Mr. Fanon, I'm here. Hey, thank you for doing this.

[Alex Wagner]

Of course.

[Unnamed Reporter]

So I'm outside of D.C. jail. I was here last night, and I've been, you know, trying to get a sense of how people are processing the moment. And I think it probably doesn't surprise you that the families of the inmates are very excited. They feel like Trump has really delivered for them. And I've been wondering how this is all going over with you. You know, what's your reaction to the, you know, the pardons and the. The news of the day?

[Alex Wagner]

I mean, it's. I don't. There's no. There are no words to describe this moment other than, I've been betrayed by my country.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Yeah.

[Alex Wagner]

I've been betrayed by those that supported the former president, now President of the United States. I've been betrayed by his political opponents, the Democratic Party. I've been betrayed by law enforcement.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Were you surprised that he pardoned basically almost all of them and commuted the sentences of the rest?

[Alex Wagner]

Donald Trump announced his candidacy in Waco, Texas, the scene of one of the bloodiest conflicts between the American fringe extremist movement and law enforcement. That's where he chose to announce that he was running for president. And he's been saying he was going to pardon each and every one of these violent criminals since day one.

[Unnamed Reporter]

This morning, you were going to seek a protective order. Can you talk a little bit about that?

[Alex Wagner]

I mean, listen, once those charges were dismissed, and they received pardons, essentially, you know, in addition to being released from prison. There's no longer any order in place preventing these individuals from contacting myself and my family. These are individuals who violently assaulted me.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Yeah.

[Alex Wagner]

I was the victim in these criminal cases. And in Trump's Department of Justice, these people go free. And I have no recourse to protect myself and my family. So I'm seeking a protective order. I don't know if it's gonna be granted, to be totally honest with you.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Yeah. It occurs to me that this is also sending a separate message to people who would otherwise operate extrajudicially outside the bounds of the law to do Trump's bidding. Right. He basically now has, well, at least like 1100, 1200, 1300 people who have proven that they are willing to do whatever they need to to keep Trump in power. And now he's just freed all of them.

[Alex Wagner]

It says this. It says this is the age of lawlessness. If you are a Trump supporter and you commit violent crimes on Trump's behalf, Donald Trump will free you.

[Unnamed Reporter]

I wonder what you make of. You know, it's. Trump is, as you point out, he's president. He owns the Department of Justice. What about the other Republicans in office? I mean, does it concern you that the leadership in Congress seems kind of intent on forgetting what actually happened on January 6th?

[Alex Wagner]

I don't think they're intent on forgetting what happened on January 6th. I think they're intent on changing the story of January 6th to a patriotic event in which thousands of American patriots fought back against the deep state. That's gonna be the new narrative. You know, I will be the villain in this story.

[Unnamed Reporter]

So rewriting history in real time.

[Alex Wagner]

Correct.

[Unnamed Reporter]

You're one of only a handful of law enforcement officers who've spoken out about this. Do you feel like, you know, other folks are watching this and have watched this all play out and are just trying to keep their heads down Cause they're worried about their own safety.

[Alex Wagner]

I will never forgive the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department, U.S. capitol Police, who failed to bear witness to what they experienced on January 6th. I believe wholeheartedly that had there been hundreds of officers lined up to testify about their experience, instead of four, that we may not be in this position that we are today. That being said, you know, it doesn't just stop at the law enforcement officers. It stops at every American. It stops at anyone who has been adversely affected by Donald Trump and his surrogates and supporters, and anyone who has seen their neighbor adversely affected by Donald Trump and his surrogates and who refuse to step up, speak out. I would hope that journalists seize this moment and refuse to allow anyone in Congress or any elected official to escape taking a side on these pardons.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Can you tell me what else you're doing today? Like, so you've already gone to file the protective order, is that right, or are you on your way to do that?

[Alex Wagner]

I'm on my way to the courthouse now to file the protective order. After that, I am going to go with my ex wife and help her as her first firearm.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Oh, wow.

[Alex Wagner]

This is very real for us. I don't know if you followed some of the incidents involving my mother, but, you know, she's been swatted, she's received threats. I've been confronted in public places and threatened. And she recently had someone throw a bag of feces on her.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Wow.

[Alex Wagner]

While she was out raking the leaves in her front yard. This is very real. And unfortunately, law enforcement has been feckless in its ability or attempts to protect me and my family.

[Unnamed Reporter]

That just. I don't get it. You know, I'm on the outside. I've never been in law enforcement, but how can cops.

[Alex Wagner]

I already know your question, Alex, and I'm going to answer it for you. The idea that police officers in this country, law enforcement officers, are stewards of the Constitution is bullshit. I was not a steward of the Constitution. I didn't subvert it, but I looked at it as an impediment in doing my job. My job was to put bad guys in bad places. And so the American law enforcement officer responds in a positive way when Donald Trump says things like, we're going to suspend the Constitution and we're going to let you loose in these communities. We're going to get rid of crime in a day.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Yeah.

[Alex Wagner]

We're going to let you go out there and do your job, which is just a dog whistle for, you know, beat the shit out of everybody that doesn't comply. And that's why you can't rely on police officers and police departments to protect you. In this age of government lawlessness, it's.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Staggering to me that the people who assaulted law enforcement are being pardoned and standing. Law enforcement is okay with that. I don't get it. I mean, I understand what you're saying, but it's still just an alignment between law enforcement and Trump that is seems real unbreakable if they can get with us.

[Alex Wagner]

I mean, listen, my friend at the Washington Post asked Chief Pamela Smith at the Metropolitan Police Department to comment on this. And you know what her response was? No comment. The chief of the Metropolitan Police department in Washington, D.C. yeah, these officers were violently assaulted by these individuals. Has no comment. And it's all fear. It's the fear of Donald Trump taking office. And what retribution lies in store for me if I simply speak the truth and say that this is an outrage. Well, you know, this is. This is that example of evil exists and persists when good men do nothing. America is doing nothing.

[Unnamed Reporter]

We reached out to Michael Fanone the day after that phone call. He told us that the process to seek protective orders was a lot more difficult than anything he had expected. And to carry them out, he would have to find the location for each individual he was concerned about and serve them papers in person. And even then, the protective order would only last two weeks. He told our producers, quote, that America simply doesn't give a shit about justice. January 6th was a profoundly devastating moment for American democracy. The peaceful transfer of power, once a sacrosanct part of our unique system of self governance, was trampled. And what's clear this week is that the fracture that began that day, the tear in the fabric of our democracy, is nowhere close to being repaired. With Trump's elevation as the 47th president, the opportunity to degrade not just systems and institutions, but the truth itself, those opportunities will continue to present themselves in ways we can't yet imagine. Thanks for listening. We'll be back next Thursday with a new episode of Trumpland with Alex Wagner. You'll be able to find us in the Alex Wagner Tonight podcast feed or just search Trumpland with Alex Wagner. To get this show and other MSNBC podcasts ad free, just subscribe to MSNBN Premium on Apple Podcasts. As a subscriber, you'll also get exclusive bonus content you won't want to miss out on, especially as this new administration gets underway. Trumpland with Alex Wagner is produced by Max Jacobs, along with Julia D'Angelo and Kay Guerrero. Our associate producer is Jamaris Perez. Our crew is Enrique Larial on audio and Liam Lee and Greg Purpura on camera. Our audio engineers are Bob Mallory and Katie Lau, and Bryson Barnes is our technical director. Matthew Alexander is the executive producer of Alex Wagner Tonight, and Aisha Turner is the executive producer of MSNBC Audio. And I'm your host, Alex Wagner. We'll see you next week. What's up, podcast listeners? It's Tanks, host of the It's Me Tanks podcast. Join me weekly on It's Me Tanks as I dive into topics like relationships, why it's okay to feel lonely fighting summer comparison and pop culture's hottest takes. I don't shy away from getting candid about my personal experiences, and I want to share all the advice I have learned with you. I'm even joined by some of my friends like Claudia Ashray, Connor Wood and Amanda Hirsch each Friday for our new Office Hours episodes. You can listen to It's Me tings every Monday, Wednesday and Friday Friday wherever. You listen to podcasts and don't forget to follow the show so you don't miss an episode.