Speaker 1: President Trump is offering a full-throated defense of one of his first moves as president, pardoning the convicted January 6th rioters, including those who attacked cops that day.

Speaker 2: I am the friend of police more than any president that's ever been in this office.

Speaker 3: More than 400 of the people that you pardoned, though, were assaulted officers. So I want to ask you about the vice president, J.D. Vance. He said, this is a week ago, he said, if you committed violence on January 6th, obviously, you should not be pardoned. Why is your vice president wrong?

Speaker 2: Well, only for one reason. They've served years in jail. They should not have served, excuse me, and they've served years in jail, and murderers don't even go to jail in this country.

Speaker 1: Not clear what he's referencing there, but I should note that that day, of course, one of the most searing images, the most brutal assaults, was against Officer Daniel Hodges. You can't forget the disturbing way he was attacked. And as he was being attacked, one rioter ripped off Officer Hodges' gas mask, another hit him in the head with his own baton, one tried to gouge one of his eyes out. And it was Patrick McCaughey that you can see here who pinned him in that Capitol doorway and assaulted him with a police shield. A judge sentenced him to seven and a half years in prison for his role in that attack. But tonight, he is free. His mom tells the Connecticut Insider he's on his way home. And Officer Daniel Hodges joins me now, which I should note is happening in your personal capacity. When you saw that Trump pardoned all of these people, virtually everyone who was charged and convicted, even those who still have their cases ongoing, even those who pleaded guilty, just what went through your mind?

Speaker 4: I mean, it wasn't a surprise. This is what Trump campaigned on. The die was cast for this on November 5th, right? So this is what the people voted for. And even though it wasn't a surprise, it's still hard to see because these people were violent insurrectionists. They brutally attacked me and my colleagues. They wanted to stop the peaceful transfer of power. I don't see why so many of them would deserve a pardon.

Speaker 1: And you actually worked Trump's inauguration yesterday.

Speaker 4: Correct.

Speaker 1: I mean, you're still out there fulfilling your duties as law enforcement and protecting him and protecting the people who are there supporting him. What is that like for you?

Speaker 4: Yeah. I mean, that's the thing about democracy, right? You can't just believe in it when your guy wins. You got to believe in it when the other guy wins too. And part of that, especially in my job is being respectful and doing the best job you can, providing law enforcement services to the best of your ability to even to people who hate me, even though none of them recognize me. But if I told them, I'm confident they would have had a different reaction to me.

Speaker 1: Patrick McKay, who was released from prison, who attacked you specifically, was one of those in that mob during that searing image. He's free now. I went back and looked at what the judge said to him when he was sentenced to him. And he said that his actions on January 6th were some of the most egregious crimes that were committed that day, that he left you completely defenseless. And he had to retreat, but you didn't retreat. You were there when he was sentenced. Has he ever apologized to you personally?

Speaker 4: He was one of those in court who apologized during his sentencing. Whether he's sincere or not, who knows? I guess we'll find out now, right?

Speaker 1: And he never reached out to you outside of court or once he was in prison?

Speaker 4: No, no.

Speaker 1: The Fraternal Order of Police put out a statement just a few moments ago saying that they've had longstanding positive relations with President Trump, but they said crimes against law enforcement are not just attacks on individual or public safety. They're attacks on society and they undermine the rule of law. And they said when perpetrators of crimes, especially serious ones, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence. Are you worried that Trump's pardon of people like Patrick? Encourages them to do this again?

Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah. I mean, why wouldn't it, right? If people know that there are not going to be any consequences for their actions, particularly their crimes, and they would like to further a certain agenda with extreme violence, then all they have to know is that they've got a wink and a nod from a man in office who doesn't have any integrity and they're good to go, right? Trump says he's the friend of the police. Do you think that's true? Trump says a lot of things. Sometimes lies are more reliable than truth. And I have not had any experience that would suggest he is a friend of the police. I think what he's a friend of is anyone who elevates his position and secures his authority, which law enforcement is obligated to do here, but some people do it with enthusiasm based on ideology rather than duty. And that is what he's a fan of.

Speaker 1: And we're seeing the reaction from these people who are being released, some of them who are just thrilled. The QAnon shaman that we saw that day who became notorious, he was sentenced to more than three years. He was granted early release and he touted the pardon that he got from Trump. And he said, and quote, all caps, now I am going to buy some mother effing guns. I love this country. I love this country. What do you, how does that feel for you?

Speaker 4: You know, I hope that there are those who were sentenced and convicted and did time who had a period of self-reflection and perhaps some personal growth. This man is obviously not one of them. He doesn't appear to regret anything he's done or anything he stood for and just have to hope that he refrains from violence in the future. Does it make you worried for your safety? I'm a DC cop. I get threats before January 6th and I'm going to get threats after, it's not going to change. But yeah, a little bit. I mean, these people say they want revenge, right? So if they want to come after me, then that's their choice. I'll be ready.

Speaker 1: You testified with several other officers in front of the January 6th congressional committee. I don't know if you knew about this before, but President Biden, before he left office yesterday, issued a pardon for everyone on that committee. There are teams who worked on that and the officers who testified before the committee. How do you feel about getting that pardon from him?

Speaker 4: It's a lot of mixed emotions. Obviously, I'm grateful that President Biden thought of me in his final moments and my and my colleagues continued legal safety. It's a novel sensation to receive a pardon when you haven't committed any crimes. And at the same time, I'm disinclined to accept it because I haven't committed any crimes. I haven't done anything wrong. And to accept, I know legally it's debatable, but in my mind, accepting a pardon is an admission of guilt. And if this incoming administration wants to come after me and dedicate their political capital, their money, their time to trying to lock me up on some trumped up charge, then that's those resources that they can't spend going after someone more vulnerable. Wow. So you would be

Speaker 1: not okay, but you would be able to be okay with if they were coming after you?

Speaker 4: Yeah, it's not an ideal situation, but I didn't do this to be safe. I didn't take the job to be safe. This is a kind of danger that I wasn't planning on when I signed up for the job, but I try to do what's best for everybody as best I can.

Speaker 1: Officer Hodges, thank you for your work and thank you for joining me tonight.

Speaker 4: Thanks for having me on. Really appreciate it.