Nearly four years after his father was arrested for participating in the January 6 Capitol riot, Jackson Reffitt stood in disbelief as President Donald Trump signed an executive order that granted pardons and commutations to his father, along with around 1,500 other insurrectionists.
Reffitt has spent most of these years in hiding, frequently relocating every few months. He was the individual who alerted the FBI about his father’s actions during the insurrection. Jackson’s father, Guy Reffitt, was affiliated with the Texas Three Percenters when he breached the Capitol wearing body armor and armed with a pistol and zip ties. He was recorded encouraging fellow rioters to storm the Capitol building and informed members of his militia that he intended to drag House Speaker Nancy Pelosi out by her ankles, “with her head hitting every step on the way down.”
“Trump himself has pardoned him, granting him freedom. That kind of validation is a rare experience he will never encounter again,” Reffitt told WIRED. “I can’t fathom how far he might go now. It could escalate significantly.”
Reffitt feels “terrified” about what may unfold next and has equipped himself with a handgun and rifle for the protection of himself and his boyfriend. Over the past few years, he has faced targeting, harassment, and threats online.
“[In the last 24 hours] the situation has worsened significantly,” Reffitt shared with WIRED. “I believe the validation from Trump is emboldening people to express even more vile and disgusting sentiments.”
He is not the only relative of a pardoned January 6 offender who is apprehensive about the ramifications of Trump’s sweeping clemency. Tasha Adams, the former wife of Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes, who had his 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy commuted by Trump, also worries about the potential fallout. “Now that Stewart is out of prison, I could really use some funds for security, just in case it comes to that,” Adams posted on her GoFundMe page shortly after her ex-husband was released.
The investigation of the January 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol became the largest in Justice Department history and severely impacted many far-right militia groups across the nation. However, with one significant executive action on Monday night, Trump has revitalized the militia movement by releasing some of its most notable leaders, such as Rhodes and Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio.
“One of my primary concerns is the potential resurgence of groups that were heavily weakened after January 6, especially since many of their leaders have either been pardoned or had their sentences commuted,” remarked Luke Baumgartner, a research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Oath Keepers start making more public appearances and if the Proud Boys intensify their culture war tactics, particularly against the LGBTQ community, as we’ve witnessed previously. Their leadership is now free, they have a lot to catch up on, and they likely feel justified.”
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Guy Reffitt was the first rioter to go on trial following the January 6 events, initially receiving a sentence of seven years and three months, which was later reduced by seven months in December due to a Supreme Court ruling that led to the dismissal of an obstruction charge against him.
“I am a staunch Patriot, supported by amazing Patriot Warriors, as we navigate these turbulent times,” Reffitt texted to an acquaintance from jail, a message that was presented as evidence in his December resentencing.
