President-elect Donald Trump stated that members of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol riot "should go to jail" during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Trump referred to the committee members, which include Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), as "political thugs and, you know, creeps."
"For what they did, honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said.
However, when asked if he would direct the Department of Justice or FBI to pursue charges against them, he replied, "No, not at all. I think that they'll have to look at that."
Trump has faced criticism from political opponents who fear he will use the government's investigative powers to target his adversaries. His picks for key law enforcement positions—Pam Bondi for attorney general and Kash Patel for FBI director—have raised eyebrows, but Trump indicated that they would have autonomy in their roles.
"I want [Bondi] to do what she wants to do," Trump said when asked if he thought charges should be brought against special counsel Jack Smith, who he called "corrupt."
Trump went on to note that Biden could opt to pardon members of the January 6 committee. "Maybe he should," Trump remarked.
Trump has also pledged to act swiftly on cases involving January 6 defendants, vowing to evaluate them individually rather than issuing blanket pardons. He reiterated that he plans to address these cases, of which there are nearly 1,500, on "day one" of his presidency.
"They've been in there for years and they're in a filthy disgusting place that shouldn't even be allowed to be open," Trump stated without providing specific details of which defendants or detainment facilities he referred to.
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