Donald Trump has issued 1,500 presidential pardons to those who were involved in the January 6 attack on Congress.
Trump was officially sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, January 20, in Washington, DC.
On his first day back in the Oval Office, the 78-year-old signed nearly 50 executive orders which included granting clemency to the hundreds of participants who breached the Capitol on January 6, 2021, to stop Congress from reaffirming Joe Biden's victory over him in the 2020 presidential election.
According to the Justice Department, the chaotic riot resulted in 1,583 criminal charges. As of August 2024, 562 people had been sentenced to time in federal prison, per the New York Post.
While many charges were for unlawful entry and disorderly conduct, several defendants faced harsher penalties for more serious crimes.
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio received a 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy - despite not being present at the Capitol during the riot.
The two-time leader signed a document commuting 14 prison sentences. He also ordered the attorney general to dismiss all pending indictments related to the riot, essentially eradicating the Biden Justice Department's effort to hold those who participated in the incident accountable.
Calling the rioters “patriots” and “hostages”, Trump has claimed that his supporters were unfairly treated by the Justice Department.
“I will say this, they’ve been in jail for a long time already. I see murderers in this country get two years, one year, and maybe no time. So they’ve already been in jail for a long time. These people have been destroyed,” he told reporters.
“What they’ve done to these people is outrageous. Even people that were aggressive, and in many cases, I believe they happen to be outside agitators. But what do I know? But I think they were. I think they were outside agitators. They were outside agitators. And obviously, the FBI was involved,” he added.
The newly-elected president's decision to issue pardons was not unexpected. During his 2024 campaign, he repeatedly vowed to review the sentences of the defendants.
“If I run, and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly,” he said at a rally in Texas in 2022.
He reiterated this stance during an interview shortly before returning to office, calling the justice system “nasty” and promising swift action: “I’m going to be acting very quickly. First day.
"They’ve been in there for years, and they’re in a filthy, disgusting place that shouldn’t even be allowed to be open,” he added.
The January 6 riot left a lasting impact in US history, claiming the lives of four Trump supporters during the event.
Ashli Babbitt, 35, was fatally shot by Capitol Police while attempting to climb through a broken window. Rosanne Boyland, 34, died after collapsing in the Rotunda during clashes, and Benjamin Philips, 50, and Kevin Greeson, 55, died of medical emergencies at the scene.
In addition to this, Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, 42, tragically passed from a stroke the day after the riot, and two other officers died by suicide shortly thereafter.
Many critics have openly condemned the president's decision.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it “an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution,” cited by AP News.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in an emailed statement: “Donald Trump is ushering in a Golden Age for people that break the law and attempt to overthrow the government."
Former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who lost consciousness and suffered a heart attack after a rioter shocked him with a stun gun, said: "This is what the American people voted for. How do you react to something like that?”
The ex-cop said pardoning his assailants only compounds his fears. “I think they’re cowards. Their strength was in their numbers and the mob mentality. And as individuals, they are who they are,” he added.
Meanwhile, supporters of the president have celebrated his sweeping pardons as a victory for fairness.