On Wednesday former President Donald Trump reiterated that he would pardon January 6 rioters if he wins the November election. During a panel at the National Association of Black Journalists Donald Trump said, ‘Oh, absolutely, I would. If they’re innocent, I would pardon them’.
He further added, ‘They were convicted by a very tough system’. Notably, more than 1,400 people have been charged in connection with the attack on January 6, 2021, and prosecutors have secured over 1,000 convictions on charges ranging from unlawful parading to conspiracy.
Hundreds of cases are pending, with more arrests expected before the five-year statute of limitations expires in early 2026. However, all January 6 cases could be concluded if Trump wins and his appointees take control of the Justice Department.
Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to January 6 rioters as warriors, amazing patriots, political prisoners and hostages. Senior US District Judge Royce Lamberth, appointed by former President Ronald Reagan and overseeing Capitol attack trials, has expressed shock at the preposterous rhetoric Republicans often use regarding January 6 rioters who have been convicted.
‘In my thirty-seven years on the bench, I cannot remember a time when such meritless justifications of criminal activity have gone mainstream’, Lamberth wrote this year.
Although January 6 defendants were caught on camera using firearms, stun guns, flagpoles, fire extinguishers, bike racks, batons, a metal whip, office furniture, pepper spray, bear spray, a tomahawk ax, a hatchet, a hockey stick, knuckle gloves, a baseball bat, a massive Trump billboard, Trump flags, a pitchfork, pieces of lumber, crutches and even an explosive device during the brutal attack.
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