When confronted on CNN’s “State of the Union” with a video of January 6, 2021, rioters, who were pardoned by President Donald Trump, attacking law enforcement, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed that laws are equally enforced under the Trump administration.
Anchor Jake Tapper asked Noem if she believes that law enforcement would have been justified in using deadly force against those attacking them on January 6, based on her assessment of the Minneapolis shooting.
“Every single situation is going to rely on the situation those officers are in,” Noem said. “But they know that when people are putting hands on them, when they are using weapons against them, when they are physically harming them, that they have the authority to arrest those individuals, and make sure they’re facing the consequences.”
Pressed on Trump pardoning people who assaulted police officers that day, Noem said Trump is focused on equally enforcing laws.
“Every single one of these investigations comes in the full context of the situation on the ground,” Noem said. “That’s one thing that President Trump has been so focused on, is making sure that when we’re out there, we don’t pick and choose which situations are and which laws are enforced and which ones aren’t. Every single one of them is being enforced under the Trump administration.”
Tapper responded, “I showed you video of people attacking law enforcement officers. Undisputed proof, undisputed evidence, and I just said, ‘President Trump pardoned all of them,’ and you said that President Trump is enforcing all the laws equally. It’s just not true.”
Noem responded: “These instances and these investigations all have to be taken and done and done correctly in context of every situation that is happening on the ground,” adding that her department is making sure it is “targeting the worst of the worst, and that we’re talking factually about each situation.”