President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he has not had any contact with the January 6 rioters who were granted clemency earlier in the week, but he expressed willingness to welcome them to the White House. Trump issued pardons to over 1,000 individuals who were involved in the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021. Additionally, he commuted the sentences of 14 individuals affiliated with the Proud Boys or Oath Keepers who were charged with seditious conspiracy.
Following the clemency actions on Monday, Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers whose 18-year sentence was commuted, was seen on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
Key points regarding the recent pardons include:
- Hosting at the White House: Trump expressed openness to hosting some of the pardoned individuals at the White House, mentioning that he has not yet communicated with them post-clemency. He stated that he believes these individuals had their lives unjustly taken away and that he has given them a second chance.
- Republican support for Rhodes: Republican Senators Tommy Tuberville and John Cornyn defended Stewart Rhodes' visit to Capitol Hill, with Tuberville suggesting that Rhodes was being used as a scapegoat for the events of January 6 and expressing relief at his release.
- Pending January 6 cases: Judge Amy Berman Jackson declined to dismiss a pending January 6 case in a manner that would prevent prosecutors from bringing charges in the future. While she dismissed the case of Jared Hunter Adams, she did not do so 'with prejudice,' emphasizing that the facts of the events on January 6 remain unchanged despite any legal actions.
