Tina Peters deserves every bit of justice that comes her way, if not for the irony of her crimes alone. She conspired to tamper with election systems and steal voting data to try to prove that the 2020 election was stolen. Whatever safeguards are in place worked because she was convicted on seven different state charges. Even if she managed to accomplish her goal, she still would have committed multiple crimes and It wouldn't have proven a damn thing. Whether the 2020 election was stolen didn't hinge on the success of her paranoia-driven mission. The only reason Trump is showing her clemency is because she is an election denier. But Trump can't pardon Tina Peters due to her state convictions. Is this a performative stunt, or a public display of Trump's ignorance? Ignorant or not, he has issued many actual pardons to criminals who meet a certain set of criteria. The corruption and hypocrisy is just baffling: While Trump was committing extrajudicial murders outside the US under the guise of combating drug smuggling, he also simultaneously pardoned the former Honduran president who trafficked massive amounts of cocaine into the US. Trump has also issued pardons to all of his named co-conspirators who plotted with him to overturn the election. Trump tried justifying his pardons to the roughly 1,600 Jan 6th rioters by referring to their actions as "very minor incidents." Most of those pardoned, including leaders of domestic extremist groups, participated in the attack. These violent MAGA yahoos intended to disrupt the certification of the election. They clashed violently with police, they broke windows, they vandalized offices, and they stole government property. The attack exceeded $2.8 million in damages. Over 140 police officers were assaulted that day by rioters carrying firearms, tasers, knives, and chemical and makeshift weapons like bear spray, flagpoles and baseball bats. Officer Brian Sicknick died of a stroke after being hospitalized for injuries he sustained from the rioters. Multiple officers committed suicide days after the attack and many more suffered from psychological trauma and physical injuries. One particular heinous example includes Michael Fanone, a DC police officer who was beaten within an inch of his life. He wasn't on duty that day but still responded to radio calls for assistance. After he reached the Capitol, the rioters dragged him down the steps, sprayed chemicals in his face, beat him and tazed him repeatedly while telling him that they were going to "kill him with his own gun." All Fanone could do at the time was plead with his attackers to not kill him because he "has kids." He suffered from burns, a concussion, traumatic brain injury and a heart attack. He retired and testified at the Jan 6 trial. His family received a barrage of violent threats following his whole traumatic ordeal; forcing him to seek out a protective order. The man who tased him, Daniel Rodriguez, mobilized a group of extremists online, told them to bring weapons with them to the Capitol where he said he would "hang Congress." After he tazed Fanone, he wrote in a group chat, "tazed the f-ck out of the blue." Rodriguez was pardoned... The Trump regime is plagued by rampant cronyism. Loyalty is a priority in Trump's circle and plays a major role in securing power and influence within his administration. Loyalty also comes in the form of political and financial contributions, which Trump takes into account when considering an act of clemency for someone. Not to mention whether such a person has knowledge that could implicate Trump in a scandal and/or crime. Trump has issued pardons to domestic extremists, financial pariahs and frauds; obscenely rich conmen; drug traffickers and smugglers; foreign agents; money launderers; dirty cops; politically corrupt lackeys and co-conspirators; signaling to his supporters, his political allies and his rich benefactors that they can commit crimes with impunity.