President Donald J. Trump clearly has no plans to stop with all of his executive orders. So far, the president has signed a whopping 82 orders in 2025 alone. In his newest action, he’s putting police officers first.
During his 100-minute address to Congress on March 4, Trump announced he signed an order that would make the death penalty mandatory for anyone convicted of killing a police officer. “So they can do their jobs without fear of their lives being totally destroyed,” the president said. “They don’t wanna be killed. We’re not going to let them be killed.”
The 34-count felon’s remarks came as he honored Stephanie Diller, the widow of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop in 2023, according to the New York Post. But although the president’s order cued cheers and approval from Republicans in the House chamber, it seems everyone forgot one major event in recent history.
Throughout his speech, Trump boasted that “America is back,” but he ironically failed to mention how he incited the riot on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 or even the fact that on day one of his second term, he either pardoned, commuted the prison sentences, or vowed to dismiss the cases of all roughly 1,500 people charged with crimes connected to the attack, according to the White House.
As we all remember, the insurrectionists stormed the Capitol which resulted in the deaths of five citizens, including Officer Brian Sicknick, and more than 170 injured officers in total. Jan. 6 remains a blimp in the president’s legacy, but now it seems he’s trying to slyly move forward.
Trump’s newest order was met almost immediately with backlash from leaders who noted the pure irony in his remarks. Most notably, former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who defended the Capitol with his life on Jan. 6, tweeted “Trump threatens public safety” and “YOU PARDONED OUR ATTACKERS,” according to ABC News.
Pennsylvania Rep. Madeleine Dean called out Trump’s hypocrisy in a tweet saying “This isn’t fair, equal, and impartial justice. It’s complete disrespect for the rule of law and the police and first responders who keep us safe.” Texas Rep. Sylvia Garcia, called Trump’s actions “The height of hypocrisy.”