Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has pardoned 1,500 individuals involved in the Capitol Hill riots, an incident that is considered a symbol of the attack on American democracy. Shortly after being sworn in as President on Monday (January 20), Trump took this step.
Additionally, after taking the oath as the President for a second term, Trump announced several major decisions, including declaring a state of emergency at the Mexican border, reclaiming the Panama Canal, and increasing tariffs on imported foreign goods.
He also revoked 78 executive orders issued during Joe Biden’s administration. British news outlet BBC reported this information on Monday.
The BBC stated that Trump, the 47th President of the United States, pardoned nearly 1,500 individuals arrested for their involvement in the Capitol Hill riots on January 6, 2021. Trump’s supporters waited outside the DC jail for most of the day during his inauguration.
While delivering a speech at the Capital One Arena, Trump announced that he would pardon those accused of the events of January 6 as soon as he entered the Oval Office. The crowd responded with cheers, and a woman was heard shouting, “Freedom!”
Trump has referred to those imprisoned for the Capitol Hill attack as “political prisoners” and had promised to pardon them. However, it remains unclear how far this pardon extends and whether it includes those already convicted.
It is worth noting that on January 6, 2021, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in Washington, DC, during a joint session of Congress. The session was in the process of formally certifying Joe Biden as the next President.
At one point, Trump supporters broke through security barricades and the main entrance to enter the Capitol building. Many of the attackers were armed and caused significant damage in the Senate chamber.
Additionally, they vandalized the offices of several lawmakers, including then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The attack and clashes resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer.
Democrats initiated impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump for inciting the attack. However, Trump avoided punishment at the time due to a lack of a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate.