Trump “very seriously” considering pardons for Jan. 6 rioters

GEAR CHECK: Our readers don't just follow the news - they stay ready. Featured gear from this story is below.

Jamie Goldstein

Former President Donald Trump announced that if he were to run for a second presidential term and win, he would look “very seriously” into full pardons for those charged with crimes connected to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

Former President Donald Trump announced that if he were to run for a second presidential term and win, he would look “very seriously” into full pardons for those charged with crimes connected to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump said in an interview with radio personality Wendy Bell that he would consider this “very strongly and very favorably.”

He then went on to say that he is currently “financially supporting” some of the defendants who were accused of crimes committed when they stormed the Capitol building in a riot that left seven people dead and resulted in $1.5 million in damage to the building.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">JUST IN: Trump says he will &quot;look very favorably&quot; at pardons, apologies for Jan. 6 rioters if elected <a href="https://t.co/NGH4ANrWg5">https://t.co/NGH4ANrWg5</a> <a href="https://t.co/GtuSzXAjif">pic.twitter.com/GtuSzXAjif</a></p>&mdash; The Hill (@thehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1565444868289200129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Trump said of these accused criminals, “I am financially supporting people that are incredible and they were in my office actually two days ago, so they’re very much in my mind. It’s a disgrace what they’ve done to them. What they’ve done to these people is disgraceful.”

The Hill reached out to Trump spokespersons who declined to respond to questions about how exactly Trump is financially supporting the January 6th rioters he mentioned.

Bell asked trump flat out if he intended to run again in 2024. Trump evaded the question by stating:

“Well the time is coming closer and I think you’re gonna be really happy. You have campaign finance laws that [don’t] allow you to … it’s crazy. It’s not smart. If you say it, everything changes and you have reporting and you have all things. But I will be doing something and I think you’re going to be happy.”

The former president also echoed comments he made recently in Nashville, TN at the the Faith and Freedom event last month. There he claimed that defendants charged for crimes committed at the Capitol riot had their “lives destroyed,” and that most of them had been “charged with parading through the Capitol.”

Trump received criticism over his comments about pardoning rioters, even from his supporters. Republican Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham said that offering pardons to Capitol riot defendants was “inappropriate.” Trump responded by calling the Senator a “RINO” – Republican In Name Only.

Currently, over 860 people have been arrested for crimes committed at the Capitol on January 6th from all 50 states. Over 350 of them plead guilty and over 115 have been sentenced and incarcerated.

You may also like

Blog

An autonomous AI system being tested by OpenAI unexpectedly escaped its controlled environment and breached the infrastructure of AI platform Hugging Face, marking what both companies have described as an unprecedented cybersecurity incident. The event has raised new questions about the future of AI safety, autonomous cyber capabilities, and how advanced models should be tested.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reaffirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should face arrest if he visits New York, while acknowledging that the city itself lacks the legal authority to carry out such an arrest. Instead, Mamdani called on the U.S. federal government to enforce the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant.
Elite military units are trained to reduce uncertainty before they recover. Modern neuroscience suggests that completing tasks and creating clear "end signals" may help the brain switch from a state of heightened alert to recovery. While the idea has gained attention online, experts say stress is driven by multiple biological and psychological factors, making closure one useful tool rather than a universal cure.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a new Department of Defense initiative requiring annual testosterone-deficiency screenings for service members aged 30 and older. The program, which officials say is designed to improve military readiness and long-term health, has sparked discussion over performance, preventive medicine, and how the policy fits into the Pentagon's broader healthcare priorities.
The deaths of American service members in Jordan and Iraq have renewed attention on the continuing dangers faced by U.S. forces deployed across the Middle East. Although separated by more than a year and occurring under different circumstances, both incidents underscore the persistent security challenges confronting American personnel in the region.

Like This Story? Check Out What Our Community Is Buying

Our best sellers are designed for real-world use - not hype.

View Best Sellers