Former President Donald Trump granted full pardons to most convicted in the US Capitol attack. He directed the DOJ to drop charges against others accused. Trump also reduced sentences for those convicted of more severe crimes, aiming to reshape recent history.
Donald Trump, on his first day back as President, pardoned or reduced sentences for over 1,500 people charged in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The list includes those convicted of assaulting police officers. Trump used his clemency powers to reverse prosecutions linked to the attack on the US Capitol.
Announcing the pardons, Trump said they would end “a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years” and start “a process of national reconciliation.”
Trump’s decision came hours after his predecessor, former President Joe Biden issued pre-emptive pardons to members of the January 6 House select committee. This included ex-Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who investigated the Capitol attack and blamed Trump. Biden stated the pardons were not for wrongdoing but to shield them from political retaliation.
Trump’s pardons cap his push to reshape the narrative of the January 6 attack. The riot left over 100 police officers injured as Trump supporters, armed with poles, bats, and bear spray, stormed the Capitol, shattering windows and forcing lawmakers to hide.
While pardons were anticipated, their scale and speed stunned observers, effectively undoing the Justice Department’s efforts to hold rioters accountable for one of the nation’s darkest days. Trump also directed the attorney general to dismiss about 450 pending cases tied to the DOJ’s largest investigation.
Trump called the January 6 rioters “patriots” and “hostages,” claiming they were treated unfairly by the Justice Department. He accused the DOJ of politically motivated charges against him in two cases.
The pardons sparked joy among Trump supporters and lawyers for January 6 defendants. Late Monday, supporters gathered in the cold outside a Washington jail, where over a dozen defendants awaited release.
“We are deeply thankful for President Trump for his actions today,” said James Lee Bright, attorney for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was serving an 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy and other crimes.
It remains unclear when defendants will be freed. An attorney for Enrique Tarrio, the ex-Proud Boys chairman sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy, said he expected Tarrio’s release Monday night.
(With AP inputs)
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