Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, announced plans to pardon supporters convicted for their involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill attack. In an interview with NBC News on December 8, Trump emphasized that the pardons would be issued promptly after his inauguration on January 20, targeting those he described as “living in hell.” However, he clarified that the leniency would exclude “radicals” and “crazy people.”
Trump also suggested that some members of Congress implicated in the investigation into the Capitol attack should be freed. According to NBC, at least 1,572 individuals have been charged for their roles in the attack, with 645 already sentenced to prison terms, the longest being 22 years.
Trump, who previously served as president from 2017 to 2021, returns to the White House after defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5, 2024, election. This marks a political comeback following his loss to Joe Biden in 2020, a defeat he repeatedly claimed was due to election fraud.
The January 6 riots, which sought to prevent the certification of Biden’s electoral victory, resulted in five deaths, including a police officer. The incident remains a contentious point in American politics. A criminal case against Trump for his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results was dismissed following his 2024 election victory.
