Trump talks pardoning Jan. 6 rioters, jailing rivals
On NBC's "Meet the Press," the president-elect said he would pardon Capitol rioters and end constitutionally guaranteed "birthright" citizenship
What happened
Donald Trump discussed his plans for the beginning of his presidency on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, saying he would pardon most Jan. 6 Capitol rioters on his "first day" in office and try to end constitutionally guaranteed "birthright" citizenship through an executive order. Trump's first post-election network interview, taped Friday, also touched on tariffs, abortion, foreign policy and jailing opponents.
Who said what
The seven Democrats and two Republicans on the House Jan. 6 Committee "should go to jail" for "what they did," Trump said to NBC's Kristen Welker. But he said he wouldn't order the Justice Department to prosecute them or other perceived antagonists. "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer," Trump said, but he would let his attorney general "do what she wants to do."
Trump also said he "can't guarantee" that his proposed tariffs won't make things more expensive for consumers, though he disagreed with the majority of economists who said they would raise prices.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
It is "exceedingly abnormal for the leader of a democracy to express a desire to see political opponents jailed," The Washington Post said. But Trump's threats, regardless of his "inconsistencies," are being "taken seriously enough" that President Joe Biden is "considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons," The Associated Press said.
-
The Olympic timekeepers keeping the Games on trackUnder the Radar Swiss watchmaking giant Omega has been at the finish line of every Olympic Games for nearly 100 years
-
Will increasing tensions with Iran boil over into war?Today’s Big Question President Donald Trump has recently been threatening the country
-
Corruption: The spy sheikh and the presidentFeature Trump is at the center of another scandal
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Kurt Olsen: Trump’s ‘Stop the Steal’ lawyer playing a major White House roleIn the Spotlight Olsen reportedly has access to significant US intelligence
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
