Tillis knocks Pirro over prosecuting Reflecting Pool vandals

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., this week criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro over her planned prosecution of the alleged Reflecting Pool vandals, suggesting it was hypocritical for her to do so after President Donald Trump pardoned Jan. 6 participants.

Pirro indicated that she would prosecute the suspects in the Reflecting Pool vandalism incident, who are currently in custody. Trump organized renovations of the iconic site on the National Mall as part of a broader effort to renovate the city, which has faced scrutiny.

Tillis, for his part, expressed dismay that the administration would pursue charges against the vandals while allowing Jan. 6 participants to go free.

“I don’t know what’s worse to you, vandalizing a pool or assaulting a police officer?” he said, according to The Hill. “Now we got somebody, let’s say they took a pen knife to a damn pool liner, you’re going to prosecute them for 10 years?”

"And you’ve let people that admitted to assaulting a police officer go and think I can take that person seriously? Nuh-uh," he added.

Notably, Trump issued the Jan. 6 pardons before Pirro was appointed to her post and the criminal cases are entirely unrelated. Tillis has repeatedly criticized Trump over Jan. 6 and was an opponent of the pardons, which Trump issued on his first day back in office.

The North Carolina senator is not seeking reelection and has been a vocal critic of the administration in recent years.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.