Trump pledges to pardon 'wrongfully imprisoned' Jan. 6 rioters as one of his 'first acts'

12 March 2024

Donald Trump's critics in the legal world have been warning that if he wins the 2024 presidential election and returns to the White House in January 2025, he will use the U.S. Justice Department against his enemies while pardoning extremists who were part of the January 6, 2021 insurrection.

Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney and fixer, has said that if Trump returns to the White House, he will seek political asylum in another country because he will literally "fear for my life." And Gen. Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, fears that Trump, during a second term, would go try to incarcerate him on bogus charges.

The January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol Building has led to over 950 convictions — some on felony charges, some on misdemeanor charges. And according to NBC News' Megan Lebowitz, pardoning the "January 6 defendants" could be a "Day One priority" for Trump.

"Trump has repeatedly called on (President Joe) Biden to 'release' the January 6 defendants and has suggested he would be likely pardon a large number of them if he is elected in November," Lebowitz explains. "He also regularly characterizes the defendants as 'hostages,' a comparison the White House has called 'grotesque.'"

Trump specially mentioned the January 6 defendants in a March 11 post on his Truth Social platform.

The likely 2024 GOP presidential nominee wrote, "My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!"

In response to that post, Sarafina Chitika — a spokesperson for Biden's reelection campaign — stated, "The American people haven't forgotten the violent attack at our Capitol on January 6 — they know Trump is too dangerous to be let anywhere near the Oval Office again, and they'll turn out to protect our democracy and keep Trump out of the White House this November."

Trump's comments in defense of the January 6 rioters have been echoed by his loyalists, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) — who has called them "hostages." Stefanik is reportedly being considered as a possible running mate for Trump if he wins the GOP nomination, which appears almost certain at this point.

Lebowitz notes, "Nearly 500 people have been sentenced to incarceration over the riot on January 6, 2021, and prosecutors have secured more than 950 convictions, according to the U.S. attorney's office for Washington, D.C. More than 1350 people have been charged in connection with the attack."

The NBC News reporter adds, "Last year, Trump promised that he would pardon a 'large portion' of January 6 defendants, adding that he would do it 'very early on.' A president has the power to pardon and commute federal sentences upon taking office."

Read NBC News' full report at this link.

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