Pardoned ex-Proud Boys leader eyes run for public office

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who received a full pardon for crimes related to the Jan. 6, Capitol attack, said on Wednesday he has decided to run for public office.

In an interview on Newsmax’s “Greg Kelly Reports,” Tarrio said he was still trying to figure out which office he will seek.

“I think my future is in politics. I think I'm going to take a serious look at running for office at some point, in 2026 or 2028, and I believe that there is a path for that, because it is my passion, you know?” Tarrio told Kelly, when asked about his next steps.

“I wanted to take some time to really think about it, and I think I've made up my mind that I think that I am going to go ahead and push,” he added.

Tarrio said he is unsure whether he will run for federal or local office.

“There’s a lot of things that need to be aligned for that to happen, so I am going to take my time with picking what office specifically. What district? Is it going to be local? Is it going to be at a federal level? I don't know, but I will tell you that I have made a decision,” he said.

Tarrio, the former national chairman of the far-right Proud Boys militia organization, was released from jail on Jan. 21, one day after President Trump was sworn into office and issued a full pardon to more than 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, including Tarrio.

Tarrio was serving a 22-year prison sentence — the longest handed down in connection to the Capitol attack — after he was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges.

Trump granted more than 1,500 pardons or clemency orders for defendants who were charged or convicted for actions related to the attack on the Capitol. In total, there were 1,583 defendants charged.

Tarrio said he’s “hardly slept” since leaving prison, adding, “I've kind of just jumped back on the horse. But I have enjoyed my time with my family, and I have been fighting, you know?”

“Two weeks ago, I was in prison, and just last night, I was in Mar-a-Lago at the president's house,” he said.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for confirmation on Tarrio's statement about being at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida residence.

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