Atlanta, Georgia – Former President Donald Trump announced on Monday that if he were to win the November election, one of his top priorities would be to release and “free” individuals charged and convicted in connection to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In a statement on his Truth Social account, Trump outlined his plans for his first acts as President, which include border closure, promoting drilling activities, and advocating for the release of those he refers to as “January 6 hostages.”
This declaration marks the first time Trump has explicitly stated his intention to prioritize the release of the January 6 defendants on his first day in office, if elected.
Responding to Trump’s remarks, a spokesperson for President Joe Biden’s campaign, Sarafina Chitika, criticized the former president’s stance, accusing him of condoning political violence to maintain power.
Trump has persistently urged President Biden to release the January 6 defendants and has hinted at pardoning a significant number of them if he were to secure victory in November. He often describes the defendants as “hostages,” a comparison that has been denounced as “grotesque” by the White House.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., nearly 500 individuals have been sentenced to imprisonment following the January 6 riot, with over 950 convictions secured and more than 1,350 people charged in relation to the attack.
Last year, Trump vowed to pardon a substantial portion of the January 6 defendants early in his term if elected. This promise coincided with the release of a report by a Republican-led House committee, which raised questions about the credibility of some testimonies related to the January 6 incident.
Amid legal troubles stemming from allegations of inciting the January 6 violence, Trump was indicted in August on charges of conspiracy to defraud the country and obstructing an official proceeding. He has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the charges.