Trump has vowed to pardon many involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, sparking debate among supporters and critics alike.
He mentioned that he’d be signing these pardons right after the event, which was held in a sports arena. It’s a bit unclear just how many people he plans to pardon or what specific offenses will be included. As of January, around two-thirds of the people charged with federal crimes had already pleaded guilty.
Earlier in the day, Trump told his supporters he was advised not to mention the January 6 “hostages” in his official speech. He reassured them that actions speak louder than words and promised they’d see a lot of action regarding these pardons soon.
During his campaign, he referred to those imprisoned for the riot as “political prisoners,” claiming they were led into federal buildings by police. Despite some pushback from notable Republicans, including Mike Pence, Trump has remained firm on his intention to pardon many of the defendants, with a few exceptions for those he considers “evil and bad.”
After winning the election, many January 6 defendants started delaying their hearings, hoping for a pardon once Trump took office. Some leaders from the Proud Boys even reached out to him for pardons just a couple of months before he was inaugurated. In a recent interview, he hinted that he would likely pardon convicted defendants quickly after taking office, but he also mentioned there might be some exceptions.
