Trump wants to pardon participants of Capitol riots
US President-elect Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President-elect Donald Trump intends to pardon the participants in the storming of the Capitol. He plans to do so on the first day after his inauguration, according to NBC News.
During the conversation, Trump said that on his first day in office, he would provide legal assistance to the participants in the January 6, 2021, riots, who, according to him, were subjected to a “very nasty system.” He also commented on their location in prison.
“I'm gonna be acting very quickly. The first day. They've been there for years, and they're in a filthy, disgusting place that shouldn't even be allowed to be open,” he said.
At the same time, the new head of state noted that there may be some exceptions to his pardons. In particular, if someone is radical or insane.
Trump also did not rule out the possibility of pardoning people who pleaded guilty to attacking police officers.
“Because they had no choice,” he explained.
When asked about the more than 900 other people who pleaded guilty in connection with the attack but were not charged with assaulting officers, Trump suggested that they were unfairly pressured to plead guilty.
NBC News writes that at least 1,572 defendants have been indicted, and more than 1,251 people have been convicted or found guilty of the attack. Of these, at least 645 defendants have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years in federal prison.
About 250 people are currently in custody, most of whom are serving post-conviction sentences. Several people are being held pending trial by order of a federal judge.
During the interview, Trump also said that he would not try to turn the Justice Department against his political opponents. At the same time, he warned that some members of the House committee investigating the January 6 attack “should go to jail.”
On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump's supporters organized a protest near the Capitol, where the US Congress met to approve the results of the 2020 presidential election, which was won by the current President of the United States, Joe Biden.
However, during these events, the protests escalated into riots and the entry of Trump supporters into the Capitol building. As a result, five people died.
