WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — A federal magistrate judge on Monday said the way that White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect has been treated more harshly than January 6 defendants, eliciting cries of outrage over the judge’s patently untrue statement.
Judge Zia Faruqui went so far as to apologize to alleged shooter Cole Allen, saying “He’s being treated differently than anyone I’ve ever observed.”
Faruqui castigated D.C. jail officials for holding Allen on suicide watch in a padded, lighted cell with no ability to make phone calls, read books, without access to religious materials or recreation time, according to a Fox News report.
“I don’t remember a federal judge apologizing to any January 6th detainees who were held in solitary confinement for months on end with no charges filed against them!” wrote X commentator Vance Langman, displaying a picture of a January 6 defendant who was held in a narrow cell in solitary confinement, almost naked with no blanket.
I don’t remember a federal judge apologizing to any January 6th detainees who were held in solitary confinement for months on end with no charges filed against them! pic.twitter.com/OQsHTlwAxD
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) May 4, 2026
“As a former judge for over a decade, I am appalled by this judge’s condemnation of law enforcement and prosecutors who were simply doing their jobs to address the safety of this would be Trump assassin,” U.S. Senator Ashley Moody wrote in a statement on X.
“Apologizing and coddling the man who attempted to kill the President of the United States and his cabinet is embarrassing to the entire judiciary,” the Florida senator said.
“This judge has no business being on the bench let alone on this case,” she added.
“This is total BS,” American USMC Veteran declared on X. “This Judge apologizing to the defendant, as if he is the victim, when clearly he’s a criminal that was trying to m*rder our President …. its all on surveillance camera video … ”
“These Liberal Activist Judges have truly hijacked our Justice System and need to be IMPEACHED NOW!!!! Enough is Enough,” he added.
Go figure, a Muslim U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui apologized to Cole Allen….
This is total BS, this Judge apologizing to the defendant, as if he is the victim, when clearly he’s a criminal that was trying to m*rder our President….its all on surveillance camera video….… pic.twitter.com/uokiOAprWG
— American USMC Veteran ❤️🇺🇸 (@MarineF18ret) May 5, 2026
On the first day of his second term in office, President Donald Trump pardoned more than 1,500 January 6 defendants.
“What they’ve done to these people is outrageous,” the President said.
“They’ve been treated very unfair(ly),” Trump said. “The judges have been absolutely brutal. The prosecutors have been brutal. And nobody’s ever treated people in this country like that.”
The presidential pardons came too late for four young men – Mark Aungst, Chris Stanton, Jord Meachum, and Matthew Perna – who committed suicide rather than face harsh jail terms for having been associated with the January 6, 2021, event at the U.S. Capitol.