Former President Donald Trump said during a rally in Texas on Saturday that he would consider pardoning those charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, saying he would treat them “fairly” if he were reelected.
“Another thing we’ll do — and so many people have been asking me about it — if I run and if I win, we will treat those people from January 6 fairly. We will treat them fairly,” he said at a rally in Conroe, Texas, according to Politico. “And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons. Because they are being treated so unfairly.”
Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the worst assault on Congress since the War of 1812. Fueled by Trump’s false claims that his November 2020 election defeat was the result of fraud, the attackers sought to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory.
One police officer who responded to the attack died one day later, and four other officers who guarded the Capitol died later by suicide. About 140 officers were injured in the attack that went on for several hours.
Trump’s latest attempt at dangling the proverbial carrot over his supporters’ heads is nothing new – as he and his allies continue to rewrite the history of January 6, with baseless claims the FBI was the instigator of the insurrection.
According to an update made by the Department of Justice at the end of December, by that time more than 725 people had been arrested in connection with the attack, with 165 people pleading guilty to various federal charges and at least 70 receiving sentences or having their cases adjudicated.
Trump’s comments could have an effect on the Justice Department’s ongoing criminal prosecution of those charged in the riots. While many of the defendants are facing misdemeanor charges, their sentences will have run their course before Trump could potentially retake the presidency.
However, there are hundreds of rioters facing conspiracy, obstruction, and assault charges who could receive sentences that land them in prison for years. Trump’s assertion that he would pardon them could very well influence them to take a plea deal.
The far-right quickly welcomed Trump’s pledge of pardons, reports The Daily Beast. “Pardon and commute sentences! Due process,” far-right Jan 6 “Stop the Steal” leader Ali Alexander wrote on Telegram. “Thank you, Mr. President!”
“I’m so happy to hear President Trump say he will treat J6 defendants fairly and pardon them if needed,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) added. “America must have a fair justice system and we must protect due process.”
And, let’s be very clear – Trump is still trying to incite violence across the country. In his speech, Trump called for MAGA protests in metropolitan cities if prosecutors launch probes into his dealings.
“If these radical, vicious, racist prosecutors do anything wrong or illegal, I hope we are going to have in this country the biggest protests we have ever had in Washington, D.C., in New York, in Atlanta and elsewhere because our country and our elections are corrupt,” he said.
