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US President Donald Trump signs pardons for January 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, US, January 20, 2025. — Reuters
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Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned more than 1,500 of his supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Within hours of taking office, Trump also ordered that all pending criminal cases against defendants in the capital riots be dismissed.
Among those pardoned was Enrique Terrio, the former leader of the far-right Proud Boys, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for directing a military-style attack on the Capitol.
Stuart Rhodes, the leader of another far-right group, Oath Keepers, had his 18-year prison sentence commuted to time served. Both Tarrio and Rhodes were convicted of conspiracy to treason.
Describing the rioters as “hostages,” Trump said at a signing ceremony at the White House that he had granted “full pardons” to more than 1,500 defendants.
“We hope they will come out tonight,” he said.
A total of 1,583 people were indicted in connection with an attack on Congress by Trump supporters to disrupt the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory.
Trump repeatedly promised to pardon those involved in the attack during his campaign, calling them “patriots” and “political prisoners”.
Trump, whose first term as president ended under the cloud of a capital attack, has repeatedly downplayed the violence of Jan. 6, even going so far as to describe it as “the day of love.”
More than 140 police officers were injured in hours of clashes with attackers wielding flags, baseball bats, hockey sticks and other makeshift weapons including Tasers and canisters of bear spray.
‘Inflammatory insults’
The Capitol attack followed a fiery speech by then-President Trump to tens of thousands of supporters near the White House in which he repeated his false claims that he had won the 2020 race.
He then encouraged the crowd to march on the Congress.
Former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned the pardons, calling them “a disgraceful insult to our justice system and to the heroes who suffered physical injuries and emotional trauma while protecting the Capitol.”
Pelosi said, “It is shameful that the president has made one of his top priorities to abandon and betray the police officers who gave their lives to stop an attempt to thwart a peaceful transition of power. “
Trump was charged by special counsel Jack Smith with conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
But the case never went to trial, and was dismissed before the inauguration under the Justice Department’s policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents.
Trump’s move on Monday granted a “full, complete and unconditional pardon” to anyone convicted of involvement in the riots and ordered the immediate release of those still in prison.
He sentenced nine members of the Oath Keepers, including founder Rhodes. Five members of the Proud Boys also served their sentences.
‘Relentless Attacks’
Before leaving office on Monday, Biden issued a preemptive pardon to former Covid adviser Anthony Fauci, retired general Mark Milley and immediate family members to protect them from “politically motivated prosecution” by the Trump administration.
Biden also granted a similar pardon to former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney and other members of the congressional committee investigating the Capitol attack.
Minutes before Trump’s inauguration, Biden announced that he was pardoning his brother James Biden, James’ wife Sarah Jones Biden, his sister Valerie Biden Owens, Valerie’s husband John Owens and his brother Francis Biden. are
“My family has been subjected to relentless attacks and threats, motivated only by a desire to hurt me — partisan politics at its worst,” Biden said. “Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe that these attacks will stop.”
