Pardoned Nearly 1,600 January 6th Rioters
On his first day back in office, Trump granted blanket clemency to nearly 1,600 people convicted or charged in the Capitol attack — including those convicted of assaulting police with deadly weapons.
On January 20, 2025 — his first day back in office — Trump signed executive clemency for nearly 1,600 people convicted of or charged in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. The pardons covered the full spectrum of participants, from trespassers to those convicted of the most serious violent offenses.
The scope of the pardons was staggering:
- Over 600 had been convicted of assaulting police officers
- 170 used deadly or dangerous weapons during the assault
- Leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers had their sentences commuted
- Many of the pardoned individuals had prior criminal records including convictions for rape, child sexual abuse, and domestic violence
Capitol Police officers who had been beaten, sprayed with chemical irritants, and left with lasting injuries called the pardons "a betrayal." Officer Harry Dunn, who was called racial slurs during the attack, said: "I guess they can just get away with it."
The mass pardons sent a clear message that political violence on behalf of Trump would be rewarded rather than punished — a precedent with chilling implications for democratic governance.