The Associated Press looked at 102 felony-assault cases the Trump DOJ brought against protesters in LA, Chicago, Portland, and DC. Twelve had reached trial when AP published. None ended in a felony-assault conviction. Acquittals, mistrials, dismissals. Across the group, 41 percent were dismissed and 34 percent ended in misdemeanor pleas.
I need to be careful here. A mistrial isn’t an acquittal. A misdemeanor plea isn’t an exoneration. This doesn’t prove every arrest was wrong. But when that many serious charges collapse or shrink, you have to ask whether prosecutors were building cases or building a narrative.
I investigated crimes, worked with federal agents, and testified in court. An arrest is one piece of the job. You prove the charge. You don’t announce a crackdown and shrug when the evidence doesn’t hold up.
And I want people who assault officers held accountable. I was dragged into a crowd on January 6, beaten, and shocked with a stun gun. That’s exactly why exaggerated charges piss me off. They make it harder for the next legitimate case to stand up in front of a jury.
Trump doesn’t get to pardon people who attacked cops and then lecture me about protecting them.