Trump pledged throughout his campaign that he would pardon some people convicted of crimes during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol
Brett Rowland
The Center Square
President-elect Donald Trump said he could start pardons for “most” convicted Jan. 6 protesters during his first minutes in the White House.
Trump pledged throughout his campaign that he would pardon some people convicted of crimes during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“It’s going to start in the first hour,” Trump told Time on Thursday. “Maybe the first nine minutes.”
Trump vowed in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” to pardon protesters, saying he’d look at each case individually.
“These people are living in hell,” Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker, noting that some had been in jail for three years.
More than 1,500 people were charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack.
Trump didn’t promise a blanket pardon.
“I am inclined to pardon many of them. I can’t say for every single one because a couple of them, probably, they got out of control,” Trump said at CNN Town Hall in 2023.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal prosecutors overstepped their authority when they charged those who stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021 with obstruction. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the 6-3 majority, said that if Congress wanted prosecutors to be able to add 20-year prison sentences on those who rioted on Jan. 6, 2021, lawmakers would have said so.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Trump supporters gathered outside the Capitol in protest. Some later forced their way into the building, breaking windows, assaulting police and delaying the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.
This report was first published by The Center Square.
Also read:
- Opinion: Blood on the highways fails to move Ferguson and Kotek
Lars Larson criticizes Washington and Oregon governors over licensing policies he says are linked to deadly truck crashes and ongoing highway safety risks. - Opposing statements sought for Feb. 10, 2026 ballot measures
The Clark County Elections Office is seeking registered voters to write opposing statements for two local school district propositions ahead of the February 10, 2026 special election. - Opinion: A warning to Washington – The ‘Minnesota Model’ of fraud has arrived
Yacolt resident Mark Rose warns that Washington’s grant pass-through system mirrors the failures behind Minnesota’s Feeding Our Future fraud scandal and urges stronger oversight before taxpayers face major losses. - Voting by mail faces uncertain moment ahead of midterm elections
With a Supreme Court case looming and states tightening deadlines, voting by mail faces new legal and political uncertainty ahead of next year’s midterm elections. - Let’s Go Washington issues initiatives signature count update
Let’s Go Washington says it has collected more than 315,000 and 289,000 signatures on two initiatives and is pushing toward 400,000 per measure.
