President Trump this week issued pardons to more than 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, but one 71-year-old woman turned down the president's offer of clemency, telling NPR it would be a dishonor to the truth of what happened that day.
"I broke the law that day, period. Black and white," Pamela Hemphill told NPR's All Things Considered of the role she regrets playing at the Capitol that day. "I'm not a victim, I'm a volunteer."
Hemphill was an ardent Trump supporter when she joined thousands of people in Washington, D.C., who attempted to halt the certification of President Biden's 2020 election victory.
Fueled by Trump's repeated lies that the election had been rigged against him and his supporters, Hemphill was among those who stormed into the halls of Congress, leading lawmakers to flee and hide.
Taking a pardon now in light of her actions, Hemphill said, "would be a slap in the face to the Capitol police officers, to the rule of law and to our whole nation."
"I would be contributing to their false propaganda that they continue to gaslight the nation and everyone, that it was a peaceful protest."
Hemphill pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor charge for parading, picketing or demonstrating in the Capitol building, and spent 60 days behind bars. After her release, she said, she began spending time in online groups with Jan. 6 rioters.
In those forums, she said, Hemphill realized how much disinformation was being spread and how difficult it was to combat falsehoods with the truth.
"When I found out that they were actually lying about a lot of things and I would bring them facts, they would get mad at me. And then they eventually had me leave, so I started doing my own research," Hemphill said.
"It's like, how was I so naïve? Well, I see now how I was, because it's a cult and you get gaslighted, and they lie to you and say there's this deep state, and the DOJ is against Trump and all this garbage."
After her arrest, social media users dubbed Hemphill "MAGA Granny" and floated her image as proof of what they said was the political persecution of riot participants. But as she became more aware of the lies Trump had pushed in his failed attempt to remain in office, Hemphill said, she came to reject that support.
When Trump commented that her sentencing was "HORRIBLE!," Hemphill responded "Please @realDonaldTrump don't be using me for anything, I'm not a victim of Jan6, I pleaded guilty because I was guilty! #StopTheSpin."
Please @realDonaldTrump don’t be using me for anything, I’m not a victim of Jan6, I pleaded guilty because I was guilty! #StopTheSpin pic.twitter.com/lMPjckyVlU
— Pam Hemphill (@PamHemphill79) June 26, 2023
Hemphill said that moment led to an onslaught of social media outrage, but that she will not stop trying to correct the record of what actually happened that day.
"It's been horrible, the attacks and what I've had to go through to keep my voice out there, because this is my amends to change the narrative of January 6th. It's so important that people have the facts." Hemphill said.
"Trump is a criminal. He broke the law. He has to keep this narrative going that the DOJ is weaponized against him and his followers. And we know that is not true. There's been enough evidence to prove that."
In May, Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records. He was given an unconditional discharge 10 days before he was inaugurated as president, which means he didn't face prison time, fines or other penalties.
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