The Justice Department is currently considering charging up to 200 more individuals for their alleged involvement in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, as reported. Among these individuals, 60 are suspected of assaulting or impeding police officers.
On the 4-year anniversary of the incident, new figures were released, coinciding with the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Trump in two weeks. It was revealed that Trump had expressed his intention to pardon the Jan. 6 rioters on the first day of his administration and had criticized members of the Jan. 6 committee in Congress, suggesting they belonged in jail.
Approximately 1,600 individuals have already faced federal charges related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, with over 600 accused of assaulting or resisting police. Furthermore, nearly 200 defendants were charged with carrying a dangerous weapon on Capitol grounds, and 153 were accused of destruction of government property. The recent figures released by the Justice Department mark the first estimation of the number of cases yet to be prosecuted.
According to sources, around 1,100 Jan. 6 defendants have been convicted and sentenced, while 300 of the charged cases are still pending trial. President Biden, when asked about Trump's impact on democracy, emphasized the importance of reestablishing basic democratic norms and expressed his belief that the actions of the former president posed a genuine threat to democracy. However, Biden expressed hope that the nation has moved past that turbulent period.
