Day 1423: "Maximum level."

WTF Just Happened Today?

Thursday, December 12, 2024

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1/ Trump pledged to use the first hours of his second presidency to pardon most individuals convicted in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. “I’ll be looking at J6 early on, maybe the first nine minutes,” he said in an interview with Time. “We’re going to do it very quickly, and it’s going to start in the first hour that I get into office […] A vast majority should not be in jail, and they’ve suffered gravely.” Trump suggested that the pardons would go to “nonviolent” people who were at the Capitol, which was overrun after he encouraged his supporters to “fight like hell” to stop Congress from certifying Biden as president. In response, Trump was impeached for “incitement of insurrection” for his role in the riots at the Capitol that left five people dead. Trump is the only U.S. President to have been impeached twice. (New York Times / ABC News / NPR)

• A Justice Department inspector general report found no evidence that the FBI used undercover agents or authorized illegal activities during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. The report debunked conspiracy theories alleging FBI orchestration of the Capitol attack, noting that among 26 informants present, none were directed to incite violence or enter restricted areas. It criticized the FBI for not thoroughly canvassing sources to assess threats and for misstatements to Congress about pre-attack intelligence. (Politico / Associated Press / ABC News / CNN)

2/ Trump promised deploy the military to deport migrants living in the country without legal permission, despite federal law barring the use of the military for law enforcement on U.S. soil. “I’ll only do what the law allows, but I will go up to the maximum level of what the law allows,” Trump said, arguing that federal law permits military action “if it’s an invasion of our country, and I consider it an invasion of our country.” Trump also intends to rescind a long-standing policy that prevents Immigration and Customs Enforcement from arresting immigrants at or near so-called sensitive locations, like churches, schools, and hospitals. “Whatever it takes to get them out. I don’t care. Honestly, whatever it takes to get them out,” Trump said. He has repeatedly promised to carry out what he has said he wants to be the “largest deportation operation in American history.” (CBS News / NBC News / WTF Just Happened Today? for more news and headlines, brought to you by Matt Kiser. The WTFJHT Podcast is narrated and produced by Joe Amditis.