Stand Back, Stand By, Walk Free

“With their powerful patron and newfound freedom, the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys stand poised to assert themselves as they never have before. Because they have no immediate reason to fear the Justice Department or the FBI, they have the latitude to move out from the shadows.” Franklin Foer in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Who Will Stop the Militias Now? (For context, these groups are as happy this week as you are unhappy.)

+ Hanna Rosin in The Atlantic (Gift Article): January 6ers Got Out of Prison—And Came to My Neighborhood. “That’s the view of January 6 that follows naturally from the pardons: They were sham trials. It was actually a day of peace. Trump and his allies are likely to push this revised version of history for the next four years. House Speaker Mike Johnson has already announced that he will form a select subcommittee on January 6, ‘to continue our efforts to uncover the full truth that is owed to the American people.’ Here is the truth. Prosecuting January 6ers did not require delicate forensics. Tens of thousands of hours of video show rioters beating up police with whatever tools are at hand.”

+ Proud Boys leader thanks Trump for January 6 pardon and vows revenge. “The people who did this, they need to feel the heat, they need to be put behind bars, and they need to be prosecuted … Success is going to be retribution. We gotta do everything in our power to make sure that the next four years sets us up for the next 100 years.” (This week has already felt like 100 years.)