After he refused to place his hand on the Bible while taking the oath of office, President Donald Trump pardoned about 1,500 terrorism defendants charged in the failed Jan. 6, 2021, coup attempted at the US Capitol.
Trump also commuted the sentences of at least six terrorists who were convicted for their roles in the deadly violence that he provoked.
The rioting started after Trump lied about the election results, falsely claiming that he won for several months, then incited the angry mob to march on the Capitol, where Vice President Mike Pence was presiding over the ceremonial session of Congress.
Trump commuted the sentences of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members who were charged with plotting to forcibly halt the peaceful transfer of power in 2020 to time served.
Former Proud Boys national chair Enrique Tarrio — who is serving a 22-year prison term, the longest handed down in connection with the attack — received a pardon.
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, transported a large cache of firearms to a hotel room in Washington and had plotted to use the guns to prevent Congress from counting Electoral College ballots confirming that Joe Biden defeated Trump.
Rhodes and Tarrio were both convicted for seditious conspiracy, a lesser counterpart to treason, and were sentenced to 18 years and 22 years in prison,
Trump also signed an order directing the Department of Justice to drop all pending cases against suspects accused in the riot.
The executive action came shortly after Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the US inside the Capitol, which was stormed by his supporters on 6 January 2021 as lawmakers met to certify Joe Biden’s election victory.
Five people died in connection with the violent attack on the republic, which sacked the Capitol Building and caused millions of dollars in damages.
During the riot, terrorists assaulted police officers, carried Confederate and Nazi flags through the temple of democracy, and defecated in congressman’s offices.
The assault on the building turned deadly when a Capitol Police officer shot and killed one demonstrator, Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force vet who was among those who broke into the building.
Police said three other people died from medical emergencies.
Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, a New Jersey native, died in the hospital after being hit in the head with a fire extinguisher during the riots.
Trump also issued a number of immigration-related executive orders on his first day in office, including an order to ramp up deportations, resume construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, and end birthright citizenship.