Trump says he'll pardon Jan. 6 defendants in first hour back in White House

President-elect Trump says he intends to pardon "most" rioters accused or convicted of storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in one of the first official acts of his second presidency.

“It’s going to start in the first hour,” Trump told Time Magazine Thursday, during an interview for his feature as the publication's 2024 Person of the Year. “Maybe the first nine minutes.”

The president-elect has long vowed to grant clemency to those who descended on the Capitol as Congress certified the 2020 election win of his Democratic opponent, President Biden, describing them on the campaign trail as "political prisoners."

In court filings, scores of rioters have said they expect immediate relief once Trump returns to the White House, their lawyers asking judges to delay sentencings, trials and other proceedings as Inauguration Day nears. Judges have largely denied those requests.

However, Trump has remained vague on the scope of clemency he'll take. More than 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants have been charged in connection with the Capitol attack, their conduct ranging from trespassing misdemeanors to assaulting police and seditious conspiracy against the U.S. government.

Top leaders of the right-wing extremist Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, many convicted of sedition, face decades in prison for their roles in the riot, leading to questions about just how far Trump's Jan. 6 pardons will go.

Lawyers for Enrique Tarrio, ex-national chairman of the Proud Boys, and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes previously indicated to The Hill that their clients — who are serving some of the longest prison terms handed down in connection with the riot — will also seek pardons.

Biden’s Justice Department, meanwhile, has decried the Capitol attack as an assault on democracy, devoting extensive resources to conduct what the agency describes as one of the largest and most complex prosecutions in its history.

Prosecutors in court filings Wednesday argued to a judge that, although Trump's pardons might erase the penalties for Jan. 6 rioters, they won't "unring the bell of conviction."

"In fact, quite the opposite," Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Holvey wrote. "The defendant would first have to accept the pardon, which necessitates a confession of guilt."

Topics

Trump reportedly promises January 6 pardons ‘in the first hour’ of his presidency or sooner – US politics live

President-elect says in Time ‘person of the year’ interview that he plans to pardon most of the Capitol rioters; Biden says more pardons to come after mass clemency. Time magazine names Donald ...
The Guardian - 2h
GOP senators say they won’t fight Trump on Jan. 6 pardons

Republican senators who witnessed firsthand the Jan. 6, 2021, ransacking of congressional offices now say it’s up to President-elect Trump whether to pardon those protesters convicted of federal ...
The Hill - 1d
What will Trump do on his first day back in the White House?

The president-elect made a number of promises in an interview with NBC News
BBC News - 3d
Trump returns from France, says he will pardon Jan. 6 rioters

President-elect Donald Trump is saying he will review the cases of January 6, 2021, Capitol rioters for potential pardons. This comes after Trump visited France for the reopening of Notre Dame ...
CBS News - 3d
Trump details immigration plans, says he'll pardon Jan. 6 rioters

President-elect Donald Trump spelled out some of his initial plans for his incoming administration in his first post-election interview over the weekend. CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole ...
CBS News - 3d
Trump says he'll act on the "first day" on some Jan. 6 cases

Trump said of the Jan. 6 defendants and convicts, "I'm going to be acting very quickly," he told NBC News' "Meet the Press."
CBS News - 4d
Trump says he’ll pardon Jan. 6 rioters on his first day in office

During an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, President-elect Donald Trump says he plans to issue pardons for Jan. 6 defendants on his first day in the White House.
NBC News - 4d
Trump says he will consider Jan 6. pardons on 1st day in office

Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker joins Sunday TODAY’s Willie Geist with a preview of her extensive interview with President-elect Trump and his response to pardons for Jan. 6 Capitol ...
NBC News - 4d
White House defends pardon of Hunter Biden amid backlash

Republicans and some Democrats have accused Joe Biden of damaging trust in the justice department.
BBC News - Dec. 2