Last Wednesday, Sen. Dan Sullivan should have been prepared for questions about President Donald Trump’s pardons of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists. After all, he referred to Trump as “probably the most transparent candidate ever on the campaign trail.” And the candidate frequently promised he’d pardon them.
Instead, after avoiding Alaska Public Media reporter Liz Ruskin, he sent her an evasive and contradictory statement. He argued that the last-minute pardons by outgoing President Joe Biden were worse. But he had no basis whatsoever to make that comparison because he also claimed not to “know the details of each of the 1,600” pardons Trump issued.
He certainly knew where he stood on the day he voted to acquit Trump for inciting the insurrection.
“Make no mistake: I condemn the horrific violence that engulfed the Capitol on Jan. 6. I also condemn former President Trump’s poor judgment in calling a rally on that day, and his actions and inactions when it turned into a riot.”
As a responsible U.S. senator who still honestly believes “if someone committed acts of violence against law enforcement officers, they should be held accountable,” it’s ridiculous to act as if he was unaware of the court cases in which a few hundred rioters were convicted of violently attacking police officers.
The simple truth is he’s afraid to publicly question Trump’s judgment like he did after acquitting him.
That’s why he voted to confirm Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, a Fox News talk show host who conservative columnist George Will argued had “Approximately zero” chance of being among the top 10,000 prospects for the job.
And consider his response to Trump’s firing of 17 inspectors general (IG).
“Look, there’s going to be a lot of disruption,” he said. “We know that.”
That doesn’t make it OK for the president to violate the law that required him to provide “substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons” to Congress 30 days before letting them go.
Inspectors general are supposed be independent watchdogs for their respective federal agencies. In 2017, Trump nominated Robert Storch to serve as IG for the National Security Agency. Four years later, the Senate confirmed him to serve that role in the Department of Defense by a 92-3 vote. Without cause, Trump just fired him.
One of Hegseth’s first acts after being sworn in was to order an IG inquiry of retired Gen. Mark A. Milley, who Trump appointed as to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in October 2019.
It’s no secret that he despises Milley. Their relationship soured in 2020 after the general apologized for participating in a photo op with Trump during the non-violent protests in Lafayette Square. Three years ago, it was revealed he made two secret calls to his Chinese counterpart. Trump called it an act of treason. It appears those will be the focus IG inquiry.
Miley’s concerns about Trump’s state of mine were well justified. The second call was made two days after the insurrection. For the prior two months, Trump was consumed by his anger over losing the election. And his entire focus was on scheming to overturn it.
But you’d have to be a fool to believe that Trump’s handpicked IG will conduct a fair and impartial investigation.
Milley isn’t the only former administration official who observed Trump’s poor judgment. His pardons add another chapter to his legendary but dismal record. As do his choices of Hegseth as Defense Secretary and at least three of his other exceptionally unquailed nominees.
Jan. 6 four years ago should have been the day every Republican learned their lesson. As Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah told them immediately after the insurrection, the best way to “show respect for the voters who are upset is by telling them the truth. That is the burden, and the duty, of leadership.”
Instead of leading, Sullivan is falling in line behind Trump’s flood of falsehoods. And feeding his bitterness about the justifiable efforts to hold him accountable for the insurrection. Which is what animates his desire for revenge against Milley and countless others.
But it’s not just the fear of Trump that prevents him from doing what’s right. He’s also afraid of having his own judgment questioned. As it should be for having submissively stood behind him all these years.
• Rich Moniak is a Juneau resident and retired civil engineer with more than 25 years of experience working in the public sector. Columns, My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire. Have something to say? Here’s how to submit a My Turn or letter.
