Former President Trump announced on Monday that if he is reelected in November, one of his top priorities would be to grant clemency to the individuals who were imprisoned for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
“My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump has consistently voiced sympathy for rioters charged in connection with the Jan. 6 incident, in which his supporters physically clashed with law officials and stormed the building in an attempt to prevent President Biden’s 2020 election certification.
The former president has stated that he would consider pardoning some of those charged in connection with the Capitol attack, and he spoke last year at a fundraiser for the defendants on January 6.
Trump is facing federal charges in Washington, D.C., for his attempts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election, as well as charges in Georgia for his efforts to reverse the state’s 2020 election results.
As of January 6, 2024, over 1,200 suspects had been charged in connection with the Capitol attack. More than 450 people have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding authorities or employees, according to the Justice Department.
The Justice Department reported that more than 700 people have pleaded guilty to various criminal counts.
Trump is poised to win the Republican presidential nomination in the coming days, setting up a November rematch with President Biden.
