Even Republicans who once said violent rioters should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law declined to criticize the presidential clemency for violent offenders, saying it was time to move on.

President Donald Trump’s sweeping pardons of more than 1,500 people charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021, including individuals who assaulted police officers, stunned Republican lawmakers who witnessed firsthand the chaos on Capitol Hill four years ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is surrounded by a very different Washington than he was eight years ago. Many Republicans thought his political career was over after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. But he came back stronger than ever — and brought Washington with him.