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Trump issues 1,500 broad pardons for Jan. 6 defendants: ‘Going to release our great hostages’

President Trump issued pardons Monday night to hundreds of participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — staying true to his promise to grant clemency to people involved in halting the counting of Electoral College votes that day.Trump, 78, signed what he said was “approximately 1,500” pardons after returning to the White House from a day of inaugural festivities, telling reporters present that “I hope they come out tonight.”

The newly sworn-in 47th president said he issued “six commutations” in addition to the pardons and declined to answer if any beneficiaries had assaulted police.

“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. What they’ve done to these people is outrageous,” Trump said.

“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.”

The Justice Department criminally charged 1,575 people in connection with the riot, which broke out after Trump, while serving the final days of his first term, told thousands of supporters that the 2020 election was being “stolen” from him.

Asked if anyone would not get clemency, Trump said, “the commutations would be the ones, and we’ll take a look, and maybe it’ll stay that way, or it’ll go to a full pardon.

Federal judges allow Jan. 6 rioters to return to Capitol for Trump inauguration
The orders require the Federal Bureau of Prisons to immediately release the inmates.

“They’ve been treated very unfair. The judges have been absolutely brutal. The prosecutors have been brutal. And nobody’s ever treated people in this country like that,” Trump said on the first day of his second term.

The 45th and 47th president, whom the House of Representatives impeached seven days after the riot for allegedly inciting the mob, said participants were treated unfairly compared to people who committed crimes during anti-police riots in 2020.

“What happened in Seattle where they took over a big portion of the city? What happened in Portland, where they burned out of the city every day and people died? Nothing happened to anybody, but they go after these people violently,” he said.

“It’s Washington, DC. People go into a trial and they say, ‘I have a wonderful lawyer, and I didn’t do anything wrong.’And they end up in shackles almost immediately and jail. No, we’re not going to let it happen.”

Trump announced the plan before returning to the White House, telling thousands of supporters at an event that served as a stand-in for the traditional inaugural parade, “We’re going to go to the Oval Office, we’re going to release our great hostages that didn’t do — for the most part, they didn’t do stuff wrong.”


Trump had vowed on the campaign trail he would consider the pardons on a case-by-case basis — but long expressed anger at the rioters being imprisoned for years and said he would go about reviewing the pardons “in the first hour that I get into office.”

One non-violent offender, Philip Sean Grillo of New York City, shouted, “Trump’s gonna pardon me anyways,” when he was sentenced to one year in prison in early December for walking around the Capitol building and shouting “charge” into a megaphone.

A majority of the charges related to unlawful entry and disorderly conduct, but some were handed multi-year sentences for assault or other crimes.

About 562 rioters were sentenced to time in federal prison as of August 2024, per the Department of Justice.

Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio was given one of the longest sentences — 22 years for seditious conspiracy, even though he was not present at the Capitol on the day of the attack.

Four of Trump’s supporters died during the riot — including Ashli Babbitt, 35, who was fatally shot by a cop as she climbed through a busted-out window in the House Speaker’s Lobby.

Another Trump supporter, Rosanne Boyland, 34, died after collapsing in the Rotunda during clashes between rioters and police.

Two other Trump supporters — Benjamin Philips, 50, and Kevin Greeson, 55 — died of medical emergencies during the riot.

Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, 42, himself a Trump voter, died of a stroke one day after the attack. Two police officers died by suicide within days of the violence.


Trump hinted at issuing pardons to Jan. 6 rioters as early as 2022, before he had officially announced his run for re-election.

“If I run, and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly,” Trump said at a January rally that year in Conroe, Texas.

“And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons,” he added. “Because they are being treated so unfairly.”

Trump doubled down as he got closer to assuming the White House once more, saying the pardons would likely be a Day One action.

“I’m going to be acting very quickly. First day,” Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker, adding, “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 noted there may be “exceptions” for those who were “radical” or “crazy” — but said otherwise the “system is a very nasty system” and that some were forced to plead guilty.

Trump was outraged after former President Biden issued a sweeping pardon to his son Hunter, writing on Truth Social, “does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!”

https://nypost.com/2025/01/20/us-news/donald-trump-issues-broad-pardons-for-jan-6-defendants/

Signing pardons for his fellow criminals. He belongs in jail with those baskets of deplorables.

MAGA Make America Great Again

Nnamdipapa:
Signing pardons for his fellow criminals. He belongs in jail with those baskets of deplorables.

Shut up! but Biden can pardon deep state villians like Milley and all his children including Hunter. If you don’t go sitdown.

Nnamdipapa:
Signing pardons for his fellow criminals. He belongs in jail with those baskets of deplorables.

One illegality begets another. Biden pardoned his son in what can only be called abuse of office and Trump is sitting in that abuse of office role to do this nonsense.

These are two sides of a rotten and corrupt coin

Weldone trump

The 1500 people fought for a better United states and it's good that you set them free

Awesome. They were persecuted for standing against election fraud.

Saner climes

At least Trump stuck with his people even if they were terrorists. He didn't try to deny them and claimed they were sponsored by his rivals.

Nnamdipapa:
Signing pardons for his fellow criminals. He belongs in jail with those baskets of deplorables.

Yen yen yen, but u see nothing wrong in Biden pardoning Criminals like His son hunter

Fight for who fight for you.

Nnamdipapa:
Signing pardons for his fellow criminals. He belongs in jail with those baskets of deplorables.

You must be Tinubu supporter

Cry more
Trump just starting

Who na Want make am remember Nigeria now

Trump werey

OLAADEGBU:
Trump issues 1,500 broad pardons for Jan. 6 defendants: ‘Going to release our great hostages’

This baba...78 years his brain is still sharp, wanting development for his country

Setting a terrible precedence because of emotion.

Nnamdipapa:
Signing pardons for his fellow criminals. He belongs in jail with those baskets of deplorables.

bp drugs are costly now

Mynd44:
One illegality begets another. Biden pardoned his son in what can only be called abuse of office and Trump is sitting in that abuse of office role to do this nonsense.

These are two sides of a rotten and corrupt coin

Those guys should be allowed to go home

zombieHUNTER:
You must be Tinubu supporter

Cry more
Trump just starting

You love and worship convicted criminals. Trump is a convict and nothing will change that.

Nice one

tolexy007:
Yen yen yen, but u see nothing wrong in Biden pardoning Criminals like His son hunter

Biden is not a convicted criminal. The orange bufoon is.

I have zero respect for criminals.

diamond68:
Trump werey

Werey?
The whole American system is Werey.
He is the correct werey to handle his werey people and werey laws.

Politics of pardons

Biden pardoned son and others including the Jan 6 prosecutors

Trumps has started his own

If this was African/Nigeria the comment would have been different because it’s white man land not is wrong in using your office for personal agenda (also known as ABUSE OF OFFICE)

In as much as I prefared trump times 100 of Biden,no be abuse of power be this?? If government in Nigeria tried this,obi retards and nuisances will say this can’t happen in a saner clime!

Man with balls and by the way, why tinubu no attend the inauguration, infact no African leader attend that event, abi na me no look well well

uuzba:
Werey?
The whole American system is Werey.
He is the correct werey to handle his werey people and werey laws.

yeah but we all thought it was SANER climes. It's just a more richer Nigeria. A jungle. It's falling fast .

Mynd44:
One illegality begets another. Biden pardoned his son in what can only be called abuse of office and Trump is sitting in that abuse of office role to do this nonsense.

These are two sides of a rotten and corrupt coin

The Hunter Biden pardon was the correct choice.
Bill Barr's appointed Special Counsel went after Hunter for political motivations.
The plea deal he initially struck was equitable given every past case for the same offense.
It was pulled because of pressure from Trump and Republicans and then they aggressively went after him.
Trump and Republicans have utterly weaponized the government, just listen to their words.
I don't blame Biden for what he did with Hunter nor his preemptive pardons for the J6 committee.

A President pardoning 1600 people who tried to overturn the election cannot be comparable.

Mynd44:
One illegality begets another. Biden pardoned his son in what can only be called abuse of office and Trump is sitting in that abuse of office role to do this nonsense.

These are two sides of a rotten and corrupt coin

But not near as rotten and corrupt as your home government whom you fervently support. Physician - heal thyself first

Nnamdipapa:
Signing pardons for his fellow criminals. He belongs in jail with those baskets of deplorables.

Lol una cry never start self

This Donald Trump's comeback is really awesome!!

Make America great again!!

Hopefully we will Make Nigeria Great again!! MNIGA!! In sha Allah!!

Mynd44:
One illegality begets another. Biden pardoned his son in what can only be called abuse of office and Trump is sitting in that abuse of office role to do this nonsense.

These are two sides of a rotten and corrupt coin

The Dems were actually the rotten coin
Wetin dem no do?

ijebosb:
The Hunter Biden pardon was the correct choice.
Bill Barr's appointed Special Counsel went after Hunter for political motivations.
The plea deal he initially struck was equitable given every past case for the same offense.
It was pulled because of pressure from Trump and Republicans and then they aggressively went after him.
Trump and Republicans have utterly weaponized the government, just listen to their words.
I don't blame Biden for what he did with Hunter nor his preemptive pardons for the J6 committee.

A President pardoning 1600 people who tried to overturn the election cannot be comparable.

If Hunter was not Biden's sine and was aggressively chased by some DA Somewhere ever a personal vendetta will that person get a pardon?

Nepotism begets nepotism