Trump pardons or commutes all charged Jan. 6 rioters
The new president pardoned roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot


What happened
President Donald Trump Monday night granted a blanket pardon to more than 1,200 supporters convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. He also commuted the sentences of 14 far-right militia members and ordered the Justice Department to drop more than 300 pending Jan. 6 cases.
Trump's actions will release about 400 people from jail, including rioters convicted of violently assaulting police officers, and Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders serving sentences up to 22 years for seditious conspiracy. Hours earlier, outgoing President Joe Biden had issued preemptive pardons for Capitol Police officers and members of the House Jan. 6 Committee, plus some family members and high-profile former officials, to protect them from Trump's threats of retribution.
Who said what
Trump's "sweeping move" gives "some form of clemency to all those charged or convicted in the riot," The Washington Post said. The pardons are a "culmination of Trump's yearslong campaign to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack" from a violent attempt to overturn his 2020 loss to a "day of love" whose "patriots" were "hostages" of a partisan justice system, The Associated Press said. Trump's efforts have "gradually worn down the consensus that the riot marked one of American democracy's darkest days," The New York Times said.
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.
Several Republicans, including Trump's attorney general nominee Pam Bondi, recently criticized the rioters who attacked police officers. Vice President J.D. Vance said on Fox News earlier this month that "if you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn't be pardoned."
What next?
Jailed Jan. 6 defendants are already being released from prison. A "pardon is not an expungement of a conviction," the Post said, but "restrictions on voting, gun ownership and other privileges are eliminated."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Nvidia: unstoppable force, or powering down?
Talking Point Sales of firm's AI-powering chips have surged above market expectations –but China is the elephant in the room
-
5 hard-working cartoons about Labor Day celebrations
Cartoons Artists take on creation of AI, spelling mistakes, and more
-
Codeword: September 7, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Why are Trump's health rumors about more than just presidential fitness?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Extended absences and unexplained bruises have raised concerns about both his well-being and his administration's transparency
-
'The McDonald's menu board is one fascinating thing'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
-
Florida aims to end all state vaccine requirements
Speed Read Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to cut vaccine access and install anti-vaccine activists at the FDA and CDC