Irish Examiner view: Freeing violent criminals is an unsettling omen for Trump presidency

Donald Trump pardoned some 1,500 participants in the January 6 riots, including those guilty of planning violent sedition and carrying out attacks on police

On Monday, Donald Trump commuted the sentences for most people convicted of offences related to the violent attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Picture: Evan Vucci/AP

The aftershocks from Monday’s presidential inauguration in Washington continue to reverberate around the world.

A random example — say America’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, or the WHO, would be sufficient to keep the commentariat busy for weeks on end at any other time, but we are living in a time apart. The challenge is rather to isolate the most important talking points arising from the Trump installation.