A whopping 1500 people charged with crimes related to the 2020 Capitol riots may be pardoned by President-elect Donald Trump, with about 900 pleading guilty to crimes and 600 jailed, with sentences ranging from a few days to 22 years.
In NBC's "Meet the Press", Trump said he's "going to be acting very quickly" on his first day to issue the pardons. He also added that the people who have pleaded guilty to crimes and assaulting officers "had no choice" and will be eligible for a pardon from him, and that he is looking at individual cases.
In December too, while talking to Time magazine, he had said, “and we're going to do it very quickly, and it's going to start in the first hour that I get into office. And a vast majority of them should not be in jail … They've suffered gravely.”
On Tuesday, he expressed sympathy for the defendants, sparking widespread controversy. When asked about pardoning violent offenders, Trump falsely claimed that only one person, Ashli Babbitt, was killed during the riot, despite three others losing their lives.
Trump also suggested, without evidence, that the FBI may have planted agents among the protesters. He echoed an argument made by advocates for the defendants, stating that if the rioters had intended to incite an insurrection, they would have brought guns. However, prosecutors did charge some protesters with possessing guns on Capitol grounds.
Trump complained that some defendants were prosecuted despite not entering the building, potentially referencing ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio. Tarrio is serving a 22-year sentence for directing the Capitol assault from a remote location and has requested a full pardon from Trump.
The approximate losses suffered as a result of the siege at the Capitol totaled $2,734,783, according to the US Department of Justice. Prosecutors estimate that 140 officers suffered injuries and left 5 people dead that day.
Trump had falsely claimed that the 2020 election had been stolen from him and encouraged people to march "peacefully and patriotically" to the Capitol, but also added that "we fight like hell". He watched the entire action televised at his White House home, posting a tweet later on calling for peace, "We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You're very special."
He also tweeted, "Remember this day forever!"
In a speech in Tennessee, Trump dismissed the riots as a "simple protest" that "got out of hand".
However, police officers who defended the Capitol that fateful day, feel betrayed by the promise of pardons. Officers were beaten, making it "likely the largest single day mass assault of law enforcement" in American history, Matthew Graves, the outgoing U.S. attorney for Washington, has said.
"It feels sometimes, like, what did I risk my life for?" Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell told NPR, who almost died while protecting the Capitol entrance. "I've done everything that was asked of me," Gonell said. "I loved this country and it feels like the country doesn't love me back", he added.
Nonetheless, Trump classifies the day of the attack as "a day of love" and supports the people who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 with clubs, chemical irritants and other weapons.
In August 2023, Trump was indicted on charges of interfering with the 2020 elections twice at the state level and at the federal level for conspiring to impede President Joe Biden's certification.
A court filing by Jack Smith, the special counsel leading the federal investigation said that "has financially supported and celebrated these offenders -- many of whom assaulted law enforcement on January 6 -- by promoting and playing their recording of the national anthem at political rallies and calling them 'hostages.'"
As President-elect Trump prepares to take office, his plans to pardon those involved in the Capitol riots have sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability. The move is likely to face significant opposition from lawmakers, law enforcement officials, and the public. The outcome will have significant implications for the future of American democracy and the rule of law.
