Trump Grants Pardons to 1,500 Jan. 6 Defendants and Commutes 14 Sentences

January 20, 2025 TruthUSA

He fulfilled his commitment to review the cases of Jan. 6 protesters individually, who had gathered in Washington to oppose the certification of the 2020 election.

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump has acted on his promises to promptly pardon nearly all individuals charged in relation to the demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021—a group he termed “J6 hostages.”

After departing from the Capital One Arena late on Jan. 20, he returned to the Oval Office and pardoned approximately 1,500 people who were involved in the Capitol breach, while commuting the sentences of 14 others who were still incarcerated.

Trump reaffirmed his commitments at the Capitol earlier that day, shortly after his inauguration.

“You’re going to see a lot of action on the J6 hostages,” the president stated.

In a December conversation with Time Magazine, Trump expressed his intention to assess the cases of Jan. 6 participants “on a case-by-case basis,” beginning within the first hour of his presidency.

“If they were non-violent, I believe they’ve been severely punished,” he mentioned. “They’ve experienced significant hardship, and in many instances, they shouldn’t have had to endure that.”

During a recent interview on Fox News Sunday, Vice President-elect JD Vance stated that those who engaged violently on Jan. 6 “shouldn’t be pardoned.”

On the eve of Inauguration Day, the mother of a Jan. 6 defendant, Angela McKinnon, shared with The Epoch Times her hopes for a pardon for her son, Robert Morss.

Morss, a former Army Ranger, was convicted of obstructing an official proceeding, robbing personal property of the United States, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon.

“He had a horrible experience in prison,” she remarked, noting that he still managed to leave the situation as “a better person” upon entering a halfway house.

She expressed her belief that the president would expedite the pardons, completing them by Day 2.

“I feel if he didn’t do that, it would fracture his base,” she commented.

The Jan. 6 protest and ensuing riot occurred during the certification of the 2020 election results. Trump supporters converged in Washington to contest an outcome they deemed illegitimate due to allegations of extensive fraud. The president hosted a “Stop the Steal” rally at the Ellipse in Washington, where he spoke before the crowd eventually proceeded to the U.S. Capitol.

Several Trump supporters lost their lives amidst the chaos. One individual, 35-year-old Ashli Babbitt, was shot by a U.S. Capitol Police officer while attempting to pass through a broken window leading to the Speaker’s Lobby. After receiving aid from an emergency response team, she was taken to the hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

Over 1,500 individuals have been arrested in relation to the events of Jan. 6, 2021. Nearly two-thirds of those who were sentenced have been given prison time.

Alleged offenses range from the use of a dangerous weapon to assaults on law enforcement—such as the charge faced by Matthew Jason Beddingfield, who arrived at the Capitol on pretrial release for attempted murder—to simply “parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building,” which is another common charge among the Jan. 6 cases.

According to a December 2024 report from the Department of Justice’s inspector general, at least 26 FBI informants were present in Washington that day concerning the incident. The report clarifies that undercover FBI agents were not among “the various protest crowds, or at the Capitol, on January 6.”

The actions of Trump on Jan. 6 have been a subject of debate. Within the two weeks following the protests and prior to Trump departing office, the House impeached him, alleging that he attempted to incite an insurrection. This was followed by an acquittal in the Senate in February.

While Trump encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol that day to articulate their concerns, he instructed them to demonstrate “peacefully and patriotically.” He also urged his followers via Twitter, now X, to “stay peaceful” and “please support our Capitol Police and law enforcement.”

In a transcribed interview with the Jan. 6 Select Committee, Trump’s former deputy chief of staff testified that the president had requested 10,000 National Guardsmen in Washington on Jan. 6, referencing a conversation he overheard between former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Footage from that day exhibited then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stating that she was responsible for the absence of the National Guard at the Capitol.

Article II of the Constitution permits the president to grant pardons for federal offenses, “except in cases of impeachments.”

In the concluding days of his presidency, President Joe Biden granted several pardons and commuted more than a thousand sentences.

Hours before his Inauguration, Biden preemptively pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, and members of the Jan. 6 Committee.

In December, Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who faced gun and firearm charge convictions following a special counsel investigation. He also preemptively pardoned other family members just prior to Trump’s oath of office.

Emel Akan and TJ Muscaro contributed to this report.

The number of commuted sentences has been revised in this report.

Source link