Geline Salac

Trump says will sign pardons for January 6 Capitol rioters

Supporters of US President Donald Trump protest in the US Capitol Rotunda on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. - Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<p>WASHINGTON, United States - US President Donald Trump signed pardons Monday for some 1,500 participants in the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol by his supporters who attempted to overturn the 2020 election.</p><p>&quot;These are the hostages -- approximately 1,500 people -- for a pardon, full pardon,&quot; Trump said at a signing ceremony shortly after arriving at the White House.</p><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABTVIOXE7nG_vdwX&amp;activation=adfill&amp;vip_mode=no"></script><p>&quot;We hope they come out tonight frankly,&quot; he said. &quot;They&#x27;re expecting it.&quot;</p><p>More than 1,500 people were charged in connection with the assault on Congress by Trump supporters who were seeking to disrupt certification of Democrat Joe Biden&#x27;s election victory.</p><p>Trump repeatedly pledged during his election campaign to pardon those who took part in the attack, calling them &quot;hostages,&quot; &quot;patriots&quot; and &quot;political prisoners.&quot;</p><p>Trump, whose first term as president ended under the cloud of the Capitol assault, has repeatedly played down the unprecedented violence of January 6, even going so far as to describe it as a &quot;day of love.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/13/21/in-rare-joint-message-top-us-military-leaders-condemn-capitol-riot">In rare joint message, top US military leaders condemn Capitol riot</a></div><p>More than 140 police officers were injured in hours of clashes with rioters wielding flagpoles, baseball bats, hockey sticks and other makeshift weapons along with Tasers and canisters of bear spray.</p><p>The assault on the Capitol followed a fiery speech by then-president Trump to tens of thousands of his supporters near the White House in which he repeated his false claims that he won the 2020 race. He then encouraged the crowd to march on Congress.</p><p>Trump was charged by special counsel Jack Smith with conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election.</p><p>But the case never made it to trial, and was dropped under the Justice Department&#x27;s policy of not prosecuting a sitting president.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/overseas/07/28/21/this-is-how-im-going-to-die-police-testify-on-us-capitol-riot">&#x27;This is how I&#x27;m going to die&#x27;: Police testify on US Capitol riot</a></div><p>According to the latest figures from the US Attorney&#x27;s Office for the District of Columbia, 1,583 people have been charged in connection with the Capitol siege, including 608 accused of assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers.</p><p>Biden, before leaving office on Monday, issued preemptive pardons to former Covid pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci, retired general Mark Milley and close family members to shield them from &quot;politically motivated prosecutions&quot; by the Trump administration.</p><p>Biden gave similar pardons to former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney and other members of the congressional committee that investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol.</p><p>Just minutes before Trump was sworn in, Biden announced he was issuing pardons to his brother James Biden, James&#x27;s wife Sara Jones Biden, his sister Valerie Biden Owens, Valerie&#x27;s husband John Owens, and his brother Francis Biden.</p><p>&quot;My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me -- the worst kind of partisan politics,&quot; Biden said. &quot;Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/1/20/trump-pledges-golden-age-on-being-sworn-in-as-us-president-0143">Trump pledges &#x27;golden age&#x27; on being sworn in as US president</a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oZ9Ytl3Ko40?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>US President Donald Trump signed pardons Monday for some 1,500 participants in the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol by his supporters who attempted to overturn the 2020 election.</p>

US President Donald Trump signed pardons Monday for some 1,500 participants in the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol by his supporters who attempted to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump signs pardons for 1,500 Capitol rioters

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

World

Trump signs pardons for 1,500 Capitol rioters

Agence France-Presse

Published January 21, 2025 08:31 AM PHT

|

Updated January 21, 2025 10:51 AM PHT

Read More:

donald trump

us capitol

january 6 riot

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.