On the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) delivered a fiery rebuke of Republican lawmakers for what she called their hypocrisy on crime.
She blasted President Donald Trump as the embodiment of lawlessness.
“President Trump’s only expertise on crime is committing it, not preventing it; enabling it, not ending it; and covering it up, not cleaning it up,” Brown declared in a searing speech that sent shockwaves through the chamber.
Brown laid out her case point by point, citing Trump’s felony conviction, his alleged attempts to shield sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and block the release of The Epstein Files, and his controversial pardons of white-collar criminals and Jan. 6 rioters.
“He has consistently violated constitutionally protected due process rights and unleashed a corporate agenda to enrich himself and his wealthy donors,” Brown said.
Pardons, Corruption, and Jan. 6
Brown’s remarks focused heavily on Trump’s use of presidential pardons. She noted that in the past ten months alone, Trump pardoned “countless white-collar fraudsters” and even individuals with violent criminal histories.
Her sharpest criticism came when she highlighted Trump’s blanket pardons for January 6th insurrectionists, which she said included:
- 172 people who admitted to assaulting law enforcement officers
- Dozens of repeat offenders with convictions for rape, manslaughter, and sexual abuse of minors
- At least 10 individuals who have since been re-arrested for new crimes
“So spare us the talk of law and order,” Brown said with force. “Because under Trump, that only means lawlessness for his friends and punishment for everyone else.”
Political Firestorm
Brown’s speech instantly drew national attention, further intensifying partisan divides in Congress.
Democrats applauded her unapologetic call-out, while Republicans accused her of grandstanding and attempting to distract from broader crime debates.
Still, Brown’s remarks captured a growing Democratic narrative: that Trump and the GOP’s “law and order” rhetoric is a political weapon, not a genuine commitment to public safety.
