Karl Rove thinks Trump pledge to pardon Jan. 6 'thugs' a 'critical mistake'

Republican strategist Karl Rove said in an interview that aired on Wednesday that former President Donald Trump's pledge to pardon January 6 offenders convicted of crimes is a "critical mistake" and Democrats should blast him for it.

“If they were smart, they’d take the Jan. 6 and go hard at it. And they would say, ‘He wants to pardon these people who attacked our Capitol,'” Rove told MSNBC’s Ari Melber.

“One of the critical mistakes made in this campaign is that Donald Trump has now said, ‘I’m going to pardon those people because they’re hostages,'” Rove said, judging Trump's actions. “No, they’re not. They’re thugs.”

Trump said last month that he would pardon January 6 prisoners on his first day in office. Over 1350 people have been charged with crimes committed on that day when several thousand people breached the Capitol on the day of electoral vote certification.

Trump called the prisoners "hostages," which prompted Rove to say, “Why Trump has done this is beyond me."

“We’re facing as a country, a decision … and you know, everybody gets to make it … as to what kind of leadership we’re going to have,” Rove said. “And to me, it is a mistake on the part of the Trump campaign to allow the president’s impulses to identify himself with the people who assaulted the Capitol rather than people who stand for law and order.”