President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to pardon all January 6 defendants on his first day back in the White House.
The promise comes just days after President Joe Biden pardoned his own son Hunter.
“I’m going to be acting very quickly,” Trump told NBC News, confirming his intention to issue the pardons immediately after taking his oath of office in January.
The sweeping move could affect hundreds of individuals currently imprisoned over the 2021 Capitol riot.
Donald Trump said was ‘going to be acting very quickly’
REUTERS
In his NBC interview, Trump expressed concern about the conditions faced by January 6 defendants in custody.
“These people have been there, how long is it? Three, four years,” he said.
“They’ve been in there for years. And they’re in a filthy, disgusting place that shouldn’t even be allowed to be open.”
When pressed about whether he would issue the pardons, Trump was unequivocal.
Pro-Trump protesters had stormed the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021GettyHe said: “Yea, I’m looking first day.”
The mass pardons could affect more than 500 individuals currently serving prison sentences for their roles in the Capitol riot.
According to Justice Department figures, 944 defendants have had their cases adjudicated and received sentences for their actions on January 6, 2021.
Of these cases, 562 individuals were sentenced to periods of incarceration.
The scope of Trump’s proposed pardons could potentially impact nearly 1,000 cases that have already been processed through the courts.
Trump’s announcement follows closely on the heels of President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter last weekend.
The scale of potential pardons is significant, with more than 1,488 defendants charged across nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
These cases have been processed through both District and Superior Courts.
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