 President Donald Trump made good on his pledge to mass pardon January 6th "hostages" on his first day in office, pardoning "approximately 1,500" protesters by his own account.
From CBN News, "Trump Pardons 1,500 J6 Defendants, Begins Signing Slew of Executive Orders":
President Trump took the oath of office today to become the 47th President of the United States. In his first presidential actions, he began issuing a series of executive orders about a wide range of issues, and he issued pardons for about 1,500 defendants charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. He said he's also issuing six commutations.
These are the hostages, he said while signing the paperwork in the Oval Office.
Earlier in the evening, starting at 6:45 p.m. on Monday night, before a large crowd at the Capitol One arena, he started by rescinding 78 Biden executive orders. Then he signed several orders requiring federal workers to return to in-person work, and ordering every federal department to take action to address the cost of living crisis facing Americans. He also withdrew from the Paris climate treaty, calling it unfair to America, and signed orders to put a stop to censorship of free speech and end the weaponization of the federal government.
Trump then left the arena to head back to the White House to sign a variety of other orders including several which will focus on illegal immigration. In his inaugural address, he said he would end the policy of "catch and release" and reinstitute the "remain in Mexico" policy, so those issues are expected to be among the next round of executive orders.
Trump is aiming to achieve several big immigration goals by restricting asylum access, sending troops to protect the southern border, and ending birthright citizenship. He has spoken out before about his desire to end automatic citizenship for people born in the country whose parents are not citizens as a means of removing one of the incentives for illegal immigration.
Many of his orders are expected to be immediately challenged in courts with critics contending his birthright citizenship order could be unconstitutional. President Biden preemptively pardoned his own family members during Trump's inauguration ceremony in a flagrant act of corruption, so there was no excuse for Trump not to make good on this pledge.
Around 1,500 people were charged over the J6 protests and his order appears to free all of them.
Ethan Nordean, aka Rufio Panman, is also being released.
Here's the official proclamation on WhiteHouse.gov:
This proclamation ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation.
Acting pursuant to the grant of authority in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution of the United States, I do hereby:
(a) commute the sentences of the following individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, to time served as of January 20, 2025:
Stewart Rhodes
Kelly Meggs
Kenneth Harrelson
Thomas Caldwell
Jessica Watkins
Roberto Minuta
Edward Vallejo
David Moerschel
Joseph Hackett
Ethan Nordean
Joseph Biggs
Zachary Rehl
Dominic Pezzola
Jeremy Bertino
(b) grant a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021;
The Attorney General shall administer and effectuate the immediate issuance of certificates of pardon to all individuals described in section (b) above, and shall ensure that all individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, who are currently held in prison are released immediately. The Bureau of Prisons shall immediately implement all instructions from the Department of Justice regarding this directive.
I further direct the Attorney General to pursue dismissal with prejudice to the government of all pending indictments against individuals for their conduct related to the events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Bureau of Prisons shall immediately implement all instructions from the Department of Justice regarding this directive.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth. Merrick Garland spent four years directing nearly all DOJ resources towards these 1,500 political prosecutions only to see all his work thrown out in one day!
Bravo, Mr. President!
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