In an unprecedented turn of events, a former staunch supporter of Donald Trump is doing something no other Capitol rioter has done… refusing his pardon.
Pamela Hemphill, a 70-year-old Idaho resident and one-time MAGA enthusiast, has become the first known January 6 defendant to formally reject a pardon from President Trump.
Speaking from her Boise home in an interview with CBS News, Hemphill said she has sought help from her Republican senator to return the clemency order issued on January 20, the very day Trump reentered the Oval Office.
“These pardons just fuel the same propaganda Trump has been pushing,” Hemphill said. “We were guilty… period.”
Hemphill was among more than 1,500 individuals granted clemency by Trump for their involvement in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. Despite facing criminal charges and pleading guilty to a misdemeanor in 2022, she now wants no part in the presidential pardon.
Court documents reveal that Hemphill encouraged others to attend the January 6 rally, posting on social media statements like “It’s a WAR!” and confirming her travel to Washington D.C. just days before the Capitol breach.
Prosecutors noted that while she didn’t physically assault police or damage property, her role in inciting the crowd helped overwhelm law enforcement lines… contributing to the broader breakdown in Capitol security.
Hemphill ultimately pleaded guilty to unlawful parading, receiving a sentence that included three years of probation. Unlike others who welcomed clemency as vindication, she calls the pardons a dangerous whitewashing of reality.
“They’re gaslighting America,” she said. “The DOJ wasn’t weaponized. When the FBI came to my house, they treated me with respect. They were doing their job.”
Her refusal has stirred up significant reactions online, particularly among critics of Trump’s repeated claims of government overreach. Hemphill says she feels morally compelled to speak out… even if it means standing alone.
“I couldn’t live with myself if I accepted it. I need to be honest with myself… and with God.”
