Donald Trump granted pardons to 1,500 Capitol rioters in a bold and polarizing decision. The move renews scrutiny of the violent January 6 attack that disrupted Congress and injured over 140 officers, marking a significant moment in the aftermath of the 2020 election controversy.
About 1,500 people involved in the riot that took place in the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, when Trump's supporters tried to revoke the 2020 election, were pardoned Monday by US President Donald Trump.
In a signing ceremony that took place shortly after Trump's arrival at the White House, he said that 1,500 individuals were being held hostage in exchange for a complete pardon.
"We hope they come out tonight frankly," he advised. "They're expecting it."
Supporters of Trump, who wanted to prevent Joe Biden, the Democrat, from having his election triumph certified, attacked Congress, leading to the arrest of over 1,500 individuals.
As a candidate for president, Trump often said that he would pardon the attackers, patriots, and political prisoners who were involved in the attack.
Even though the horrific violence of January 6 came to a close during Trump's first term as president, he has consistently downplayed the event, even referring to it as a "day of love."
During the hours-long skirmishes, rioters brandished flagpoles, baseball bats, hockey sticks, and other improvised weapons, in addition to Tasers and bear spray canisters, injuring over 140 police officers.
In a ferocious address to tens of thousands of his followers near the White House, then-president Trump reaffirmed his false assertions that he had won the 2020 contest; this was followed by the attack on the Capitol. Then he urged the assembly to assemble outside of Congress.
Special counsel Jack Smith accused Trump of plotting to reverse the 2020 election outcome.
However, because to the Justice Department's policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents, the case was dismissed before it ever reached trial.
Up to this point, 1,583 individuals have been indicted in relation to the Capitol siege, with 608 of those persons facing charges of assault, resistance, or obstruction of law enforcement, as per the most recent data from the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
To protect longtime Covid pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci, retired general Mark Milley, and close family members from politically driven charges by the Trump administration, Biden granted preemptive pardons to them on Monday, his last day in office.
Members of the legislative committee that examined the assault on the Capitol on January 6, including former Republican senator Liz Cheney, were also pardoned by Biden, The Raw Story shares.
The announcement of biden's pardons for his brother James, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John Owens, and Francis Biden came just minutes before Trump took the oath of office.
The worst kind of political politics has been at work, as Biden described, as his family has been the target of relentless assaults and threats. On top of that, he concluded by saying that he is disappointed since he does not think these attacks will stop.
