President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of providing financial compensation to individuals prosecuted for participating in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, a move that would significantly escalate his post-pardon efforts to support the rioters and reignite national debate over accountability and justice.
In an interview with Newsmax Tuesday night, Trump said, "There's talk about that," referring to the idea of compensating January 6 defendants. "A lot of the people that are in the government now talk about it because a lot of the people in government really like that group of people."
The remarks come just weeks after Trump fulfilled a central campaign pledge by issuing blanket pardons to more than 1,500 individuals prosecuted for their roles in the Capitol riot. The clemency extended to hundreds convicted of violent offenses, including assaults on law enforcement, weapons charges, and destruction of federal property.
A Washington Post-Ipsos poll released last month found 83% of Americans oppose pardons for those convicted of violent crimes on January 6, underscoring the public's broad rejection of clemency for Capitol attackers. Despite this, Trump has continued to characterize the rioters as "patriots" and has framed their actions as part of a "peaceful protest" against a contested election.
Among those advocating reparations is Ed Martin, a Republican lawyer who represents several January 6 defendants. Trump recently appointed Martin as interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., a move that has drawn criticism from legal experts and sparked concern among former Justice Department officials. Martin has launched "Project 1512," a review initiative focused on potential wrongful prosecutions of January 6 defendants.
The president also reiterated his support for Ashli Babbitt, a rioter fatally shot by Capitol Police while attempting to breach the Speaker's Lobby. "Ashli Babbitt was a really good person who was a big MAGA fan, Trump fan," Trump said. "She was innocently standing there ... and a man did something to her that was unthinkable when he shot her."
Babbitt was shot by U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd, who was cleared of wrongdoing by the Justice Department after an internal investigation. Asked if he would take action against Byrd, Trump said, he would "take a look at it."
The financial compensation proposal would mark an unprecedented shift in presidential clemency-moving beyond legal absolution to potential taxpayer-funded payouts for individuals who participated in a violent attempt to overturn a democratic election.
Neither the White House nor the Department of Justice has released formal details on how such compensation would be administered or funded. But Trump's framing of the idea, combined with his continued praise for those involved in the insurrection, signals a growing willingness to institutionalize support for the January 6 movement.
The clemency and potential reparations come amid a broader reshaping of federal law enforcement priorities under Trump's administration. In addition to the pardons, the president has ordered the Justice Department to reexamine sentencing patterns for Capitol rioters and granted expanded clemency powers to the White House Counsel's Office.
Critics warn the moves are eroding democratic norms and emboldening anti-government extremists. Legal scholars have raised concerns that direct compensation could trigger constitutional challenges, particularly if it appears to reward criminal behavior or incentivize future unlawful conduct.
