President Donald Trump has used his clemency powers to pardon or commute the sentences of over 1,500 people charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including those convicted of assaulting police officers. On his first day back in office, Trump also ordered the dismissal of around 450 pending cases related to the largest investigation in U.S. Justice Department history.
This sweeping action comes just hours after Trump returned to the White House on Monday. It could lead to the release of individuals convicted for violent actions during the Capitol attack, including members of far-right extremist groups like the Proud Boys, who were involved in unsuccessful plots to keep Trump in power after his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
The pardons mark the culmination of Trump’s yearslong effort to rewrite the narrative around the Capitol riot, which left over 100 police officers injured as a mob of Trump supporters overwhelmed law enforcement, damaged property, and forced lawmakers into hiding. While such pardons were anticipated, the speed and scale of the move have stunned many, effectively undoing much of the Justice Department’s prosecution of the riot.
Trump, who has repeatedly called the rioters “patriots” and “hostages,” has claimed they were unfairly treated by the justice system, much like himself, as he faces federal charges in two cases he says are politically motivated. In a statement, he called the pardons a way to end “a grave national injustice” and begin “a process of national reconciliation.”
The pardons have been met with joy from Trump’s supporters and legal teams for the Jan. 6 defendants. Late Monday, Trump supporters gathered outside the Washington jail, where many of the rioters had been held, hoping to see their loved ones released.
One attorney, representing Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy, said he expected Tarrio to be released that evening. “This marks a pivotal moment in our client’s life, and it symbolizes a turning point for our nation,” attorney Nayib Hassan said.
However, the move has sparked outrage from many Democrats. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it “an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma” protecting the Capitol that day.
Leading up to his return to the White House, Trump had hinted he might review each Jan. 6 case individually, but the blanket pardons for many violent rioters have raised eyebrows. This includes 14 individuals, some convicted of seditious conspiracy, whose sentences were commuted. The rest received “full, complete and unconditional” pardons.
The pardons come just weeks after the Justice Department dropped its two federal criminal cases against Trump, citing its policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. Had Trump lost the 2024 election, he could have faced trial for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results—a case that would have been heard in the same Washington courthouse where his supporters are now receiving pardons.
