On Monday night, President Donald Trump issued broad pardons for nearly all individuals involved in the January 6th attack, effectively absolving those who violently attempted to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
From the Oval Office, Trump informed reporters that he had granted pardons to nearly 1,500 defendants who participated in the Capitol assault and commuted the sentences of several others, whose cases, he said, required “further research.”
“We hope they’ll be released tonight. They’re expecting it,” Trump remarked, referring to the defendants.
Outside the D.C. Central Detention Facility, where many of the January 6th detainees are held, reporters noted that families began to gather Monday, anticipating the pardons.
The White House also disclosed the names of 14 defendants whose sentences were commuted. Among them were several right-wing militia leaders convicted of seditious conspiracy, including Stewart Rhodes of Texas and Kelly Meggs of Florida, the founder and current leader of the Oath Keepers. Also commuted were members of the Proud Boys, such as Joseph Biggs from Florida, Ethan Nordean from Washington, Zachary Rehl from Pennsylvania, and Dominic Pezzola from New York.
The order granted all remaining January 6th defendants convicted of crimes related to the Capitol attack a “full, complete and unconditional pardon.”
Trump had previously referred to the defendants as “hostages,” “patriots,” and “warriors” on the campaign trail, and pardoning them became a key theme at his rallies.
Former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn criticized the pardons, calling it a “dark day in American history.”
