More than 1,250 people have been convicted for their participation in the assault on the Capitol, with more than 650 receiving prison sentences ranging from a few days to 22 years.
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Four years after the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol, Donald Trump said he would pardon the more than 1,250 rioters as soon as “first day” of his second term, which begins January 20.
“It is very likely that I will do it very quickly”he declared during the NBC show “Meet the Press”.
On January 6, 2021, hundreds of Donald Trump supporters entered the building to prevent members of the United States Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, won by Joe Biden.
While some Republicans support the general presidential pardon promised by Donald Trump, others, like veteran Gus Bilirakis, advise US president-elect to consider pardons on a case-by-case basis.
“We must examine each case individually. Some probably deserve to be pardoned”considers Gus Bilirakis.
More than 650 rioters sentenced to prison
More than 1,250 people have pleaded guilty or been convicted following trials in connection with January 6, including more than 650 were sentenced to prison terms ranging from a few days to 22 years.
Many of them echoed Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged in favor of Joe Biden.
Members of Congress who had evacuated both chambers during the chaos returned that night to finally endorse the Democratic candidate’s victory.
If Republicans are divided over the pardons promised by Donald Trump, the police officers who defended the Capitol uniformly condemn them.
-Many officers were beaten, some with their own weapons, as they tried to contain the crowds.
Around 140 police officers were injured during the violence, making it “probably the largest mass attack on law enforcement in a single day” in the history of the United States, according to Matthew Graves, the outgoing prosecutor of the country’s capital.
“We cannot be in favor of the police and the rule of law if we pardon people who betrayed this trust, injured police officers and ransacked the Capitol”says Aquilino Gonell, a Capitol Police sergeant, who retired due to injuries he suffered after fighting the rioters.
“People who attacked police officers, I don’t think that’s something we should tolerate”also considers Republican Dusty Johnson.
Donald Trump “lit the fire” of the insurrection
House Democrats, who led the campaign to impeach Donald Trump and mounted a massive investigation into the Jan. 6 attack, have warned that pardons could have considerable consequences, both for the rule of law and for the security of the country.
Bennie Thompson headed the House of Representatives committee that investigated the riots. In his report, he concludes that Donald Trump has “lit the fire” of the insurrection.
“The approximately 140 law enforcement personnel who were injured defending this institution, I think anyone who cares about peace and security would be offended that you pardon people who attacked these individuals because they were doing their work”he says.
Like the police officers who protected them, Members of Congress who were at the Capitol during the attack are strongly opposed to any presidential pardon for the rioters.
Republican lawmaker Jim Himes, who was trapped in the gallery of the House of Representatives as rioters tried to enter the chamber, said he would “extraordinarily difficult” for him and many others to accept such a decision.
“Too many of us have had very personal experiences with people who are serving time or who have been convicted.”he declares.
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