Trump says he would pardon January 6 rioters 'if found innocent'
1. “They were convicted by very tough system,” says former president
Former US President Donald Trump has reiterated his willingness to pardon those convicted for their involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot if he wins the upcoming presidential election in November.
"Oh, absolutely, I would. If they're innocent, I would pardon them. They were convicted by a very tough system,” Trump stated at the National Association of Black Journalists.
On January 6, 2021, the Capitol was overrun by rioters attempting to prevent a joint session of Congress from counting the electoral college votes in favor of Joe Biden, aiming to keep Trump in power. The chaos resulted in injuries to more than 140 police officers who tried to contain the rioters.
When asked about pardoning the rioters, Trump questioned what would happen to those who attacked the Capitol last week, falsely referring to peaceful protests during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress. However, police had managed to prevent the demonstration from escalating.
“They viciously attacked our government, they fought with police, they fought with them much more openly than I saw on January 6,” Trump stated.
Rachel Scott of ABC News asked Trump again if he would pardon the January 6 rioters if elected. Instead of answering, Trump brought up the officer who shot and killed a demonstrator.
Ashli Babbitt, a rioter on January 6, was shot and killed by a black officer as she jumped through a broken window leading to the House Speaker’s Lobby while Congress members were fleeing the mob attempting to break into the House chamber.
Trump further added that authorities pursued the January 6 protestors with a vengeance.
Trump has been advocating for the 600 convicted rioters of the January 6 events, and in 2023, at a town hall hosted by CNN at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, he stated that he was “inclined to pardon many of them.”
