Trump is serious about keeping his word. He’s not playing around this time.
And President Trump just fulfilled a massive election promise on day one in office.
Trump Issues Pardons for Jan. 6 Participants, Citing Unfair Treatment
On his first day back in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump fulfilled a campaign promise by issuing pardons to hundreds of individuals connected to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump announced late Monday that he granted clemency to “approximately 1,500” individuals, including full pardons and commutations of sentences.
“I hope they come out tonight,” Trump told reporters at the White House following a day of inaugural celebrations. The newly sworn-in president signed orders granting full pardons to most individuals convicted of crimes related to the Capitol unrest and commuted the sentences of 14 others.
“These people have been destroyed,” Trump said when asked about the decision. “I see m*rderers in this country get two years, one year, and maybe no time. They’ve already been in jail for a long time.”
The Justice Department had charged 1,583 people for their involvement in the riot, which disrupted the certification of the Electoral College results in the 2020 presidential election. Trump, during his final days in office in 2021, had encouraged supporters to rally in protest, asserting that the election had been “stolen.”
When asked if any individuals were excluded from clemency, Trump indicated that only commutations had been issued in certain cases but hinted those could later be escalated to full pardons.
The orders also directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to release inmates immediately. Trump criticized the treatment of those incarcerated, saying, “The judges have been absolutely brutal. The prosecutors have been brutal. And nobody’s ever treated people in this country like that.”
Trump compared the Capitol riot prosecutions to the handling of violent demonstrations in 2020, saying those involved in anti-police protests in cities like Seattle and Portland faced little to no legal repercussions.
“What happened in Seattle, where they took over a big portion of the city? What happened in Portland, where they burned down the city every day and people died? Nothing happened to anybody, but they go after these people violently,” Trump said.
During an event that replaced the traditional inaugural parade, Trump addressed supporters, describing those involved in the Capitol riot as “great hostages” and adding, “For the most part, they didn’t do stuff wrong.”
The Department of Justice reported that as of August 2024, 562 individuals had been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in the riot.
Some, like Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, received lengthy sentences. Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy, despite not being present at the Capitol that day.
The riot resulted in the deaths of four Trump supporters, including Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot by police, and Rosanne Boyland, who collapsed amid clashes with law enforcement.
Two Trump supporters died from medical emergencies during the riot, and three law enforcement officers died in the aftermath, two by su*cide and one by a stroke.
Trump’s decision to issue pardons was foreshadowed during his 2024 campaign. At rallies, he repeatedly called the treatment of January 6 participants unfair and pledged to address the issue promptly upon returning to office. “If I run, and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly,” Trump said at a rally in Texas in 2022.
Although Trump acknowledged there might be “exceptions” for individuals who were “radical” or “crazy,” he said the legal system forced many to plead guilty to avoid harsher outcomes.
The pardons also followed Trump’s criticism of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who issued a sweeping pardon to his son, Hunter Biden. On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!”
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