CV NEWS FEED // President Donald Trump late Monday granted the pardons of about 1,500 people who had been charged in connection to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. In doing so, Trump fulfilled a campaign promise just hours into his second term.
Via a release from the new White House, the president indicated that his “proclamation ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation.”
Trump added that the attorney general “shall ensure that all individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, who are currently held in prison are released immediately.”
“I further direct the Attorney General to pursue dismissal with prejudice to the government of all pending indictments against individuals for their conduct related to the events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” continued the president. “The Bureau of Prisons shall immediately implement all instructions from the Department of Justice regarding this directive.”
During Monday’s indoor inauguration parade in Washington D.C., Trump told the crowd assembled at Capital One Arena: “Tonight I’m going to be signing on the J6 hostages, pardons to get them out. I’m going to the Oval Office and we’ll be signing pardons for a lot of people.”
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The Daily Caller reported that over the course of his successful 2024 reelection campaign, Trump “planned to pardon a ‘large portion’ of those federally charged.”
“Approximately 1,583 defendants in total were federally charged in connection with the incident,” The Daily Caller added. “Among those charged, 608 defendants faced accusations of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers, or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder.”
“The pardon was one of more than 200 executive orders Trump was expected to sign on Inauguration Day,” FOX News reported.
Notably, the pardons came on the same day as departed President Joe Biden’s controversial pre-emptive pardons of Rep. Liz Cheney, R-WY, and the other members of the now-disbanded House Jan. 6th Committee that had aggressively targeted those who allegedly took part in the Capitol riot.
In addition to pardoning the Committee’s members, Biden also pre-emptively pardoned members of the Biden family who have come under scrutiny due to the family’s controversial foreign business dealings, as well as Dr. Anthony Fauci and retired Gen. Mark Milley.
Biden likely carried out the pardons to prevent the new Trump administration from prosecuting their recipients.