Trump Pardoned a January 6 Rioter, Then He Tried to Kill a Congressman

“We’re living in a moment of extreme political violence.” — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries

The Arrest

An upstate New York man who once stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6 and later received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, has been arrested again, this time for allegedly threatening to assassinate House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).

New York State Police confirmed that Christopher Moynihan, 34, of Clinton, New York, was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with making a terroristic threat, a felony offense. According to police, Moynihan’s arrest marks the first known instance of a Trump-pardoned Capitol rioter being charged with a new act of politically motivated violence.

Investigators allege Moynihan sent a series of disturbing text messages on October 17, explicitly threatening to kill Jeffries ahead of a planned speech in New York City.

“Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC — I cannot allow this terrorist to live,” Moynihan allegedly wrote.

“Even if I am hated, he must be eliminated. I will kill him for the future.”

According to the criminal complaint, those messages placed the recipient in “reasonable fear of the imminent murder and assassination” of Jeffries. Moynihan appeared before the Town of Clinton Court and was remanded to the Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center on $10,000 bail. He is scheduled for a court appearance Thursday in Dutchess County State Supreme Court. It remains unclear whether he has retained legal counsel.

Jeffries Responds

In a public statement Tuesday, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries thanked law enforcement for acting swiftly to neutralize what officials called a “credible death threat.”

“I am grateful to state and federal law enforcement for their swift and decisive action to apprehend a dangerous individual who made a credible death threat against me with every intention to carry it out,” Jeffries said.

Speaking later alongside Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Jeffries condemned the rise of political extremism and vowed not to be intimidated.

“We’re living in a moment of extreme political violence. When it comes to these extremists out there, you better watch how you talk when you talk about me,” Jeffries warned.

Trump’s Pardon and Moynihan’s Past

Moynihan’s name first entered public record after the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. He was convicted in 2022 of obstructing an official proceeding, one of the most serious felony counts tied to the attack, after breaching police lines and entering the Senate Gallery. According to federal prosecutors, Moynihan was caught paging through a senator’s notebook and taking cellphone photos inside the chamber. In court filings, prosecutors quoted him saying:

“There’s got to be something in here we can f—ing use against these —-bags.”

He was sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison in early 2023 but never served the full term. In the final hours of Donald Trump’s presidency, Moynihan was among more than 1,500 individuals pardoned or granted clemency for crimes tied to the Capitol riot. That sweeping action, widely criticized by both parties, effectively erased federal charges for many convicted insurrectionists, including Moynihan.

Fallout and National Reaction

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a member of the House Select Committee that investigated the January 6 attack, said this week that the latest arrest underscores the recklessness of Trump’s mass pardons.

“I said on the very day Donald Trump pardoned 1,600 people en masse without obviously studying the details of each case, that Trump and his administration would be responsible for whatever happens with these people,” Raskin said. “They’ve got a responsibility to rein them in.”

He called on the Department of Justice to more aggressively address the ongoing threat of politically motivated violence tied to the far-right movement that Trump’s rhetoric continues to fuel.

The Bigger Picture: A Return to Political Violence

The Moynihan arrest is the latest sign of escalating threats targeting elected officials across the country. From the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband to armed extremists outside election offices, federal agencies have warned that political violence remains one of the greatest domestic security threats in the United States.

Jeffries’ near-miss reinforces those warnings, and raises new questions about how Trump’s blanket pardons may have unleashed dangerous individuals back into public life. As the 2026 election cycle looms and Trump continues to campaign on grievance and revenge, this latest case stands as a stark reminder: the legacy of January 6 is far from over.