On his first day back in the White House, President Donald Trump fulfilled a longstanding promise by granting pardon to approximately 1,500 individuals convicted of crimes related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
This sweeping act of clemency, announced just hours after his inauguration for a second term, included pardons and sentence commutations for individuals convicted of violent crimes, including assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy.
President Trump dismissed the severity of the events of January 6, describing those involved as “hostages” and claiming they had been treated unfairly.
“These people have been destroyed,” he said during remarks from the Oval Office. “What they’ve done to these people is outrageous. There’s rarely been anything like it in the history of our country.”
Among those granted clemency were high-profile figures such as:
– Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy.
– Kelly Meggs, leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers, sentenced to 12 years.
– Enrique Tarrio, former leader of the Proud Boys, who was serving a 22-year sentence.
In total, more than a dozen individuals had their sentences commuted to time served. These included members of far-right groups like the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, many of whom had been convicted of seditious conspiracy and other serious offences.
The clemency also extended to those awaiting trial, with President Trump directing the Attorney General to dismiss pending indictments related to the Capitol riot, effectively halting the Justice Department’s efforts to prosecute the remaining cases.
The decision has sparked outrage among law enforcement officers injured during the riot and others who have called for accountability.
Over 140 police officers were assaulted during the attack, which caused damages exceeding $2.8 million.
Judges involved in January 6 cases have consistently emphasised the seriousness of the offences.
“No matter what ultimately becomes of the Capital Riots cases already concluded and still pending, the true story of what happened on January 6, 2021 will never change,” Senior Judge Royce Lamberth, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, said during a December sentencing.
President Trump’s actions have also drawn criticism from lawmakers and former members of the January 6 select committee, some of whom were preemptively pardoned by outgoing President Joe Biden, along with police officers who testified during the investigation.
