Source: JIM WATSON / Getty

Trump Pardons Over 1,000 January 6 Rioters & Commutes Sentences of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers Leaders

President Donald Trump has marked his return to the White House by issuing sweeping pardons and commuting sentences for those involved in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack.

On his first full day back in office, Trump granted clemency to more than 1,500 individuals, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers,

convicted of seditious conspiracy, and hundreds of others charged with crimes ranging from trespassing to assaulting police officers.

The moves sparked both celebration and condemnation.

Trump described the clemency as a step toward “national reconciliation,” claiming it rectified what he called “a grave national injustice.”

He referred to the rioters as “patriots” who were unfairly targeted by the Justice Department under President Joe Biden.

Among those whose sentences were commuted are Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, and Enrique Tarrio, former chairman of the Proud Boys, who was serving a 22-year prison sentence.

Supporters gathered outside the D.C. jail, celebrating the immediate release of several defendants.

Attorneys for the pardoned expressed gratitude, calling the move a “turning point” for their clients.

Yet many, including former officers injured during the attack, found the decision deeply troubling.

Michael Fanone, a former D.C. police officer who was brutally assaulted during the riot, called it a betrayal, stating, “It compounds our pain.”

Democratic leaders also voiced sharp criticism.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the pardons “an outrageous insult to justice,” while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned they send a dangerous signal of impunity for political violence.

The decision has raised significant concerns about its implications for the justice system and the rule of law.

Historians and critics argue that the mass pardons normalize political violence and undermine accountability for one of the darkest events in recent US history.