Pamela Hemphill, a 71-year-old retired drug abuse counselor from Idaho, has made headlines after publicly rejecting any potential pardon from former President Donald Trump. Hemphill, who was once a staunch supporter of Trump and involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, now calls the MAGA movement a “cult” and has distanced herself from Trump’s political influence.
In the aftermath of her involvement in the January 6 riot, Hemphill was sentenced to two months in prison after pleading guilty to a felony charge for protesting inside the Capitol building. At the time, she was photographed by the FBI inside the Capitol, a detail that later became widely known.
Hemphill initially supported Trump during the 2016 and 2020 elections, even attending the “Stop the Steal” rally. However, her views have drastically shifted since her legal troubles, with her now claiming that the MAGA movement has been “bullying” her. She voiced her disillusionment with Trump, stating that if he follows through on his promise of pardons for January 6 participants, she would refuse it, calling him a “felon” and expressing her disinterest in his attempts to use her case for political gain.
She wrote on social media, “I will refuse a pardon from felon Trump!”
Hemphill’s post garnered praise from anti-Trump supporters online, with many expressing admiration for her courage in rejecting the former president’s influence. Some social media users commended her for “waking up” to the reality of the situation and standing firm in her beliefs.
In a 2022 interview, Hemphill admitted regret over her actions during the riot and confirmed that she had planned to vote for Kamala Harris in the 2024 elections, showing a complete break from her previous political stance.
