Two police officers who defended the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, are suing the Trump administration in an attempt to block a new $1.8 billion Justice Department compensation fund designed to provide relief to Americans the administration says were targeted by politically motivated Biden-era prosecutions.
Former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges filed suit this week against President Donald Trump, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, claiming the administration lacks the authority to establish what critics have labeled an “anti-weaponization” fund without congressional approval.
The lawsuit argues the fund could ultimately compensate some January 6 defendants and members of “paramilitary groups,” with the officers <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/us/politics/jan-6-officers-lawsuit-trump-fund.html">warning</a> it could embolden political violence.
 “In the most brazen act of presidential corruption this century, President Donald J Trump has created a $1.776bn taxpayer-funded slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name,” the complaint states.
The Trump administration, however, has framed the program very differently — not as a reward system for rioters, but as a mechanism to compensate Americans who faced politically selective prosecutions and excessive legal punishment under the Biden administration.
Vice President JD Vance defended the program during a White House press briefing on Tuesday, accusing the media of distorting the fund&#8217;s purpose. 
“This is about compensating Americans for the lawfare that we saw under the last administration,” Vance said. “Anybody can apply for it. Republicans can apply for it, Democrats can apply for it.”
Vance also rejected claims that the fund would personally benefit Trump or his family. 
“Is $1 of this money going to the Trump administration? No. Is $1 of this money going to Donald Trump personally? No,” he said.
When pressed on whether individuals convicted in connection with January 6 could potentially receive compensation, Vance said the administration would review claims individually rather than issue blanket exclusions. 
“We’re not trying to give money to anybody who attacked a police officer,” Vance said. “We’re trying to compensate people where the book was thrown at them, they were mistreated by the legal system.”
The vice president argued the fund is part of a broader effort to “turn the page” on what the administration views as politically motivated prosecutions during the Biden years. 
“Let’s not prosecute people because they said the wrong thing, or because they had the wrong political candidate, or because they had the wrong viewpoint,” Vance said.
Critics of the program point to the more than 1,500 pardons and commutations Trump issued for January 6 defendants earlier this year, arguing the compensation fund could become another avenue for rewarding political allies. 
Supporters of the initiative, however, argue that many defendants faced disproportionate charges, financial ruin, and years-long legal battles tied to what they view as prosecutions they believe were politically driven.
The lawsuit comes as the administration continues to make anti-weaponization and transparency efforts a central political theme heading into the 2026 midterms.

January 6

J6 Officers Sue Trump Over $1.8B ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund

Capitol Police

Capitol Riot

Courts

Politics

Students in New Mexico will learn more about the January 6 Capitol riot and climate change than the moon landing.
New Mexico high school <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/High-School-United-States-History.docx.pdf">history guidelines</a> contain over a dozen references to the January 6 riot while only mentioning the moon landing once. The guidelines, part of the New Mexico Instructional Scope for History, are largely focused on racial and gender grievances and encourage teachers to promote Democratic politicians and lament how the richest men in the United States today are “mostly white.&#8221;
“The freedom of those in America and Ukraine after the 2021 Capital [sic] Insurrection and Russian invasion of Ukraine are two events that reveal the rights and safety of women, immigrants, children, and the LGBTQ community are at risk,” an example discussion in the guidance reads. 
Teachers are also instructed to show footage from NBC showing “Americans armed with weapons and military-type gear storming the Capital, breaking glass, defacing sacred art, political statues and podiums on and in our Capital [sic] building in Washington, DC.”
The purpose of the footage is to “disprove some of the beliefs that it was not violent or a threat to our democracy.”
The repeated misspelling of &#8220;Capitol&#8221; in the January 6 section is one of several errors in the guidelines. In another section, teachers are encouraged to list Democratic politicians from racial and sexual minorities, including &#8220;VP [Kamala] Harris, Transportation Secretary [Pete] Buttigieg, Interior Secretary [Deb] Haaland and Supreme Court Justice Brown.&#8221;
The last example appears to be a reference to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Rhyen Staley, the director of research at Defending Education, said the documents were an example of politics being pushed in the classroom.
“These state level documents expose a troubling pattern by education activists of pushing leftwing political and social biases into K-12 classrooms as established ‘facts,'&#8221; Staley told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Students and families deserve an education that values a politically neutral approach to weighing different sides of issues, not political indoctrination.&#8221;
The <a href="https://web.ped.nm.gov/bureaus/curriculum-instruction/new-mexico-instructional-scope-nmis/">New Mexico Instructional Scope</a> is an “educator influenced tool designed to provide guidance and support to assure that all students in New Mexico have access to content at their grade level combined with the use of impactful instructional strategies.”
The history guidelines reveal a heavy focus on left-wing activism and grievance politics.
Teachers are suggested to ask students why the United States still struggles “with the idea of racial equality,” discuss the pros and cons of reparations, and assess “who is responsible for the socio-economic disparities in early U.S. immigration to today.”
In contrast, the moon landing and the space race are each only mentioned once
The guidance also suggests that states like Georgia and Florida have implemented laws that are similar to voting restrictions on black people during the Jim Crow era. Teachers are recommended to provide “Current suppression of voting rights” in examples of Georgia, Texas, Florida, and New Mexico.
“How does the current suppression of voting rights compare to the suppression of voting rights during and immediately following the Reconstruction Era?” a question for students said. 
Another suggested discussion is whether there are “more opportunities for minorities today in the business realm.”
“Absolutely there is more opportunity today than there was back then, but that doesn’t mean that things are totally equal. Even though there are lots of Black owned businesses, the richest men in the country are still mostly white,” a suggested student response to the question said. 
Other guidance included in the history materials is for students to be encouraged to “join a program already in existence and help spread their message to prevent global warming” or write to their representative about climate change. 
Students should be able to define LGBTQ (“Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, queer or questioning”) and PFLAG (“Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays”).
“How do historically underrepresented groups such as women of color, LGBTQ and Indigenous people offerse [SIC] diverse views of society,” teachers should ask students, according to the guidance. 
Similar politically focused guidance is found in materials for instruction on <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/High-School-World-History-NMIS.pdf">world history</a> and <a href="https://web.ped.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/High-School-Ethnic-Cultural-and-Identity.docx.pdf">ethnic studies</a>. 
In the guidance for world history, “equity” is defined as the principle “that all citizens have had different opportunities and experiences, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.”
The world history guidance also contains guidance recommending that students “create their own posters that show their actions on climate change” after watching a climate alarmist documentary from former Vice President Al Gore. 
The ethnic, cultural, and identity guidance discusses left-wing groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center, Black Lives Matter, and the Human Rights Campaign.  
“How do advocacy at the local, community, national and global levels work together to achieve change over time?” a supporting question asks. 
It also introduces students to the concept of “gender identity,” which it defines as ”identification with, or sense of belonging to, a particular group based on gender, such as cisgender, transgender, agender, bigender.”
New Mexico, a solidly blue state, has previously come <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-mexico-government-survey-asks-middle-and-high-school-students-if-they-are-two-spirit?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=New+Mexico+Government+Survey+Asks+Middle+And+High+School+Students+If+They+Are+‘Two-Spirit’">under scrutiny</a> for asking high school students whether they identify as “two-spirit” or transgender through its Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey.

Trump Supporters Hold “Stop The Steal” Rally In DC Amid Ratification Of Presidential Election

Students In Blue State Spend More Time Learning About January 6 Than The Moon Landing

Education

History

New Mexico

On the morning of January 19, 2021, decorated Navy Lt. Commander Thomas E. Caldwell was resting peacefully on his Virginia family farm when FBI agents executed a pre-dawn SWAT raid.
They accused him of being a leader of the Oath Keepers, of storming the Capitol, and of hunting down members of Congress.
He says every single claim was false. Tom was never a member of the Oath Keepers. He never entered the Capitol. He never planned an attack. And yet, thanks to Biden&#8217;s DOJ, Tom spent over 50 days in solitary confinement and endured years of prosecution.
Now pardoned, he&#8217;s finally free to speak. Here&#8217;s an excerpt from his new book, &#8220;<a href="https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-mouths-of-the-wicked">The Mouths of the Wicked</a>.&#8221; — The Editors
* * *
January 19, 2021
“Honey! Get up! The FBI is at the door!”
I will never forget those words or the urgency in Sharon’s voice as she shook me awake that dreadful morning. Bundled under blankets and still foggy from two sleeping pills, I struggled to free myself from the CPAP machine.
Trying to make sense of it all, I leaned on the dresser, mind racing as an intense, other-worldly light flooded in from the great room of our home. Disembodied voices routed the night’s peace and bellowed my name.
My wobbly legs took me to the front door and the tumult beyond.
“FBI! Come out with your hands up!”
The horror show was all about creating an incident. But why? Who cares why! I was going to end up on the short end of the stick if I didn’t handle this correctly and with cooperation. Head spinning, I flashed back to all the times the news reported people being fatally shot after authorities “thought they had a gun in their hand.”
I set my trusty cane beside the door. It would be a sad tale for my wife to have to tell at the funeral of her disabled veteran husband that he was gunned down by the FBI who mistook a walking stick for a firearm.
Slowly I opened the front door to the blinding glare of searchlights. A scant two feet from the window frame of our house, I could make out the manhole-sized disc of a battering ram flowering from the end of a reinforced steel arm, jutting from total darkness. Oh my God, they’re going to smash a hole in our cottage! I let my left arm trail the storm door behind me to ensure it would close slowly, without a slam that could send these possibly trigger-happy jackanapes into a shooting frenzy.
Stepping forward, I raised my hands as far as they would go, considering their limited mobility resulting from shoulder surgeries and the reattachment of arm to torso with a brass rod. I needed to lift them high enough to appease the invisible screamers without reaching the point of initiating the bolt of pain that would cause me to reflexively pull it back to my body. A sudden movement like that could be fatal in the cloud of red dots from rifle lasers swarming me. This wasn’t the first time a firearm had been pointed at me, but I assure you, this was the first time my life was placed in jeopardy by people from the country I love and served.
<div id="attachment_998997" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-mouths-of-the-wicked"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-998997" class="wp-image-998997 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-384x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Puffin Publishers LLC/Thomas Caldwell" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell-1360x2040.jpg 1360w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/book-cover-caldwell.jpg 1365w" sizes=" (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" /></a>Credit: Puffin Publishers LLC/Thomas Caldwell</div>
Virginia’s winter was on frigid-blast, the porch an iceberg, and the biting west wind slashed my body. Barefoot, clothed only in underwear and nightshirt, I moved forward to the edge, squinting desperately against the artificial sun in my face, trying to find the first of three steps I knew were there somewhere. Trying not to take a well-intentioned but possibly leg-breaking step into the abyss.
I stepped down blindly, relying upon muscle memory born of doing this a thousand times in broad daylight. Until my foot actually reached step number one, I didn’t know if I would be stable enough to make the climb down on my own. Guided by what I now know was divine intervention, I made each halting step until I felt the ouch of the gravel boundary between deep ruts and frosty grass. The wet lawn was only slightly less chilly than the concrete. I walked slowly, aware of shadowy figures at the edge of my field of vision. Beams of red light stabbed from the dark — rifle and pistol lasers — all merely a trigger pull away from dispatching this 66-year-old retired veteran.
The first of many “what’s going on?” inquiries crossed my lips as the designated vet-wrangler snatched me, powerful arms and hands jutting from an inky veil. With purposeful out-sized strides, he yanked me across the slippery grass, shoving my face hard into the cold metal of a car hood. What I was concerned about now was the abrupt leg-weakening shove at the waist — a bending motion not pleasant for someone like me with a spine immobilized by a jumbled mass of metal spacers and screws.
Amid the clinking of metal on metal, I addressed the faceless being through gritted teeth, informing him that my left arm could no longer naturally rotate in such a way as to reach my back due to reconstructive shoulder surgery—no matter how much he kept twisting it. He was at the point of a spontaneous displacement of the metal screw holding my arm to my body. Thankfully, cold metal cuffs were slapped on my wrists in the front instead. Then it was right back to a face plant on the car hood.
All this outrage was conducted with creatures of the dark still yowling orders in the frigid pre-dawn air. They had me in their snare. What more could they want?
In the midst of a cacophony from hell, I labored to lift my head and, to my utter horror, saw my wife standing in the searchlight’s brutal blaze. Time stopped, as did my heart.
<div id="attachment_999097" style="width: 465px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-999097" class="size-full wp-image-999097" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Caldwells.jpg" alt="Courtesy: Thomas Caldwell. https://saveourfarmva.com/ " width="455" height="575" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Caldwells.jpg 455w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Caldwells-237x300.jpg 237w" sizes=" (max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px" />Courtesy: Thomas Caldwell.</div>
For there stood Sharon, barefoot, arms straight out from her sides, clad only in one of my super-sized white T-shirts made nearly transparent in the harsh glare of the spotlights. I could see her shivering as her stance proved she carried no weapon and posed no threat. That did not stop the authoritative commands shouted at her with crude epithets tossed in for good measure.
I couldn’t believe my eyes or my ears as she lifted her arms to reveal a single white sock in each hand and softly asked if she could put them on her feet.
As the screamers moved closer to her, to my heart-stopping terror, I saw the devil’s red fireflies dancing all over her face and body. The monsters had drawn down fully automatic weapons of death on my Angel!
My heart cried, “They didn’t kill me, so now they want to kill my wife!”
Sharon stood there, innocently holding a pair of socks and holding my heart—my whole world—in her hands. Her stance was nearly identical to that of Jesus, hung on the cross by hateful elitists who knew not what they were doing. She did not seem to understand the gravity of this bile-laced situation.
My memory flashed back to the murder at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, the day an FBI sniper shot and killed Vicki Weaver as she stood on her porch, holding her infant in her arms.
This scene played out for an eternity and still haunts me every day.
“Father, God!” I begged, “God in Heaven, Father, please don’t let them kill my wife! Abba, Father! Please don’t let them murder my wife!
* * *
This excerpt is published by permission from the author and Puffin Publishers LLC. “<a href="https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-mouths-of-the-wicked">The Mouths of the Wicked</a>” by Thomas E. Caldwell (November, 2025/<a href="http://puffinpublishers.com/">PuffinPublishers.com</a>)
<a href="https://saveourfarmva.com/">Thomas E. Caldwell</a> is an author and proud veteran of the United States Navy. A decorated retired Navy Lieutenant Commander, he honorably served our Nation around the world for nearly two decades, principally within the Navy&#8217;s Intelligence Community. He is the author of countless strategic and tactical intelligence assessments and possesses a deep understanding and unique perspective of global and domestic threats to our Nation. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

US-CRIME-shooting-SUSPECT

The Morning The FBI Came For Me

Biden Administration

Books

Prison

U.S. Capitol

U.S. Navy

A man pardoned by President Donald Trump after taking part in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot was arrested over the weekend for allegedly threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Christopher Moynihan, 34, was taken into custody on Sunday after he wrote in a text message that he was planning to &#8220;eliminate&#8221; Jeffries at an event in New York City on Monday, according to court documents, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pardoned-capitol-rioter-charged-threatening-hakeem-jeffries-nyc-trump/">reported</a>. Jeffries, who represents New York&#8217;s 8th Congressional District, spoke at the Economic Club of New York on Monday.
Moynihan, who lives in Clinton, New York, is accused of writing in a text message, &#8220;Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC I cannot allow this terrorist to live.&#8221;
&#8220;Even if I am hated, he must be eliminated, I will kill him for the future,&#8221; Moynihan allegedly added.
New York State Police <a href="https://troopers.ny.gov/news/clinton-man-arrested-making-terroristic-threats-toward-member-congress">arrested</a> Moynihan after an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/10/21/us-news/pardoned-capitol-rioter-arrested-for-allegedly-threatening-to-murder-hakeem-jeffries/">reported</a>. He is charged with making a terroristic threat, a felony. Moynihan is set to make his first court appearance on Thursday in Dutchess County, New York. He will remain in jail &#8220;in lieu of $10,000 cash bail, a $30,000 bond, or an $80,000 partially secured bond,&#8221; according to the New York State Police.
Jeffries is in the midst of a fierce battle with Republicans over the government shutdown. Last week, Jeffries <a href="https://democraticleader.house.gov/media/press-releases/leader-jeffries-msnbc-protests-are-going-take-place-today-peaceful-expression">criticized</a> White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt after she said that the Democratic Party is catering to &#8220;Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals.&#8221; Jeffries responded to Leavitt&#8217;s comments, calling her &#8220;sick&#8221; and &#8220;out of control.&#8221; He then argued that the Trump administration was unleashing &#8220;unprecedented extremism on the American people.&#8221;
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="http://dailywire.com/Subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
Moynihan was one of the more than 1,500 Capitol riot defendants who received a blanket pardon from President Trump shortly after Trump was sworn into office in January. The New York man was seen in photos walking on the Senate floor on January 6, 2021, after rioters breached the Capitol. Prosecutors alleged that while on the Senate floor, &#8220;Moynihan rifled through a notebook on top of a Senator&#8217;s desk, saying &#8216;There&#8217;s gotta be something in here we can f***ing use against these scumbags.'&#8221; He pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges and was sentenced to 21 months in prison in February 2023.
Since Trump pardoned hundreds of J6 defendants, Democrats have condemned the move by pointing to a few instances where people were charged with other alleged crimes in the weeks following their pardons. Earlier this year, a 42-year-old Indiana man who Trump pardoned was shot and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/man-who-received-j6-pardon-shot-and-killed-during-traffic-stop">killed</a> during a traffic stop after he allegedly resisted arrest and raised &#8220;a firearm at police.&#8221; Another man who was convicted for his role in the Capitol riot was arrested weeks after his pardon for allegedly breaking into a home in Virginia.

Pardoned J6 Defendant Arrested After Threatening To Kill Democrat Leader

Crime

Death Threats

Donald Trump

Hakeem Jeffries

Trump Administration

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) lost her cool on Wednesday when a reporter asked her if a new Republican-led committee would find her “liable” for her actions leading up to the January 6 riot. 
“Why did you refuse the National Guard on January 6?” LindellTV reporter Alison Steinberg asked Pelosi as she walked outside the Capitol with one hand gripping the arm of a staffer. LindellTV is a network founded by MyPillow CEO and Trump supporter Mike Lindell. 
“Shut up,” Pelosi <a href="https://x.com/RealLindellTV/status/1978498747647881514">said</a>. “I did not refuse the National Guard, the president didn’t send it. Why are you coming here with your Republican talking points as if you’re a serious journalist?”
“The American people want to know. We still have questions. Thank you,” Steinberg replied. 
The question of who was responsible for delaying the National Guard’s deployment on January 6 has long divided Republicans and Democrats.
A Republican House <a href="https://cha.house.gov/2022/12/gop-16-appointees-release-report-capitol-security-failure">report</a> released in December 2022 found that the National Guard was not deployed earlier on January 6 because of  “widespread concern from Democrat leadership over &#8216;optics&#8217; in the aftermath of summer 2020 ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests.”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a> 
Later, footage taken by Alexandra Pelosi for an HBO documentary released by the House Republicans appeared to show Pelosi taking responsibility for the chaotic law enforcement response to January 6. 
“You’re gonna ask me in the middle of the thing, when they’ve already breached the inaugural stuff, ‘Should we call the Capitol Police?’? I mean the National Guard. Why weren’t the National Guard there to begin with?” Pelosi said in the footage. 
A staffer replied, saying the National Guard thought they had “sufficient resources.” 
“It’s not a question of how they had … they don’t know! They clearly didn’t know, and I take responsibility for not having them just prepare for more,” Pelosi said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 Since January 6, 2021, Nancy Pelosi spent 3+ years and nearly $20 million creating a narrative to blame Donald Trump.
NEW FOOTAGE shows on January 6, Pelosi ADMITTED:
&#8220;I take responsibility.&#8221;
WATCH: <a href="https://t.co/95a0totTWB">pic.twitter.com/95a0totTWB</a>
— Oversight Subcommittee (@OversightAdmn) <a href="https://twitter.com/OversightAdmn/status/1800207258514575730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“As Nancy Pelosi was being evacuated from the Capitol on January 6, 2021, she admitted that, as Speaker of the House, she was responsible for the security failures, and for not having the National Guard at the Capitol,” Rep Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) said at the time. 
For her part, Pelosi has <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1954950985245225201">blamed</a> President Donald Trump for the delayed activation of the National Guard, while former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund has said that it was Pelosi’s Sergeant at Arms who denied repeated requests for more help in the days leading up to January 6.

House Dems Save Healthcare Presser

Reporter Dares Ask About January 6 – Pelosi Responds With ‘Shut Up’ Diplomacy

Congress

Nancy Pelosi

National Guard

A newly publicized FBI after-action report reveals that the agency deployed hundreds of agents to the Capitol during the January 6 riot, many of whom later complained of being unsure about what they were supposed to be doing there. 
The <a href="https://justthenews.com/sites/default/files/2025-09/FBI-HJC119-J6IG-000001-000050.pdf">report</a> reveals that 274 FBI agents from the agency&#8217;s Washington Field Office were present in and around the Capitol on January 6, 2021. This included “agents who responded to the Capitol grounds as well as inside the Capitol, the pipe bombs, and the red truck that was believed to contain explosive devices,” according to the report obtained by Just the News. 
The report, recently sent to the House Judiciary Committee by FBI Director Kash Patel, indicates that several agents believed they were ill-equipped and unprepared to respond to the situation.
“The initial response of having us again respond to a riot by ‘standing the line’ did not seem appropriate because we do not have the gear, equipment, or training for riot control,” one agent wrote. 
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“As in June, agents were again deployed onto the streets (specifically around the Capitol) and simply told to stand behind MPD. No other direction. When asked specifically what they were supposed to do or who to check in with, they were told simply that management said to go there and there was no answer,” a different agent said. “FBI agents do not have training for, nor equipment for, riot control.”
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), the chair of a House Judiciary subcommittee investigating January 6, <a href="https://justthenews.com/accountability/fbi-bombshell-274-agents-sent-capitol-j6-many-later-complained-they-were-political?utm_source=breaking&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter">told</a> Just the News that the number of FBI agents present at the Capitol raised more questions.
&#8220;Why is Congress just finding out there were significantly more FBI assets at the Capitol than previously identified? Were the courts that heard cases regarding January 6 made aware these agents were at the Capitol? Were any of the agents tasked to investigate individuals at the Capitol? Were they ever called to testify during the prosecutions of J6 defendants? Did any of the former FBI leaders testify about the additional personnel at the Capitol?” he asked. 
GOP lawmakers have repeatedly pressed the FBI over what it knew — and how it responded — on January 6. A previous Inspector General’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ig-says-fbi-had-dozens-of-informants-in-d-c-on-jan-6-including-in-capitol">report</a> revealed that the FBI also had at least 26 informants in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, including some who committed offenses.
The report also contained complaints from agents who said that January 6 cases were politically motivated. One agent said that questions were being asked in “my community” about the “different responses” to the 2020 riots versus January 6. 
“We were once an apolitical organization, but I no longer see us as looking from the ground up. We have been used as pawns in a political war, and FBI leadership fell into the trap and has allowed it to happen. We are supposed to call balls and strikes, regardless of political pressure, now we can’t even be trusted to be on the field,” the agent wrote. 
Another agent shared a similar sentiment. 
“The actions on January 6, 2021 were absolutely despicable and unacceptable in a civilized society. What is even more unacceptable was the hypocrisy displayed by the FBI and its leadership in their attempt to go after those involved in the Capitol Riots, while we as agents, watched cities burn across America during the summer of 2020,” the agent wrote.

US-POLITICS-ELECTION-TRUMP

Report Exposes Massive FBI Presence At Capitol On January 6

General

House Judiciary Committee

kash patel

Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, the only protester killed during the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach when she was shot by a Capitol police officer, will receive full military funeral honors from the Air Force.
“On behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force, I write to extend the offer for Military Funeral Honors for SrA Ashli Babbitt,” Undersecretary of the Air Force Matthew Lohmeier <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/28/us-news/jan-6-rioter-ashli-babbitt-gets-air-force-military-funeral-honors/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter">wrote</a> to Babbitt’s family. “After reviewing the circumstances of Ashli’s death, and considering the information that has come forward since then, I am persuaded that the previous determination was incorrect.”
Babbitt “served on active duty as a security forces senior airman from 2004 to 2008, then served in both the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, deploying to Afghanistan in 2005, Iraq in 2006, and the United Arab Emirates in 2012 and 2014,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/28/ashli-babbitt-military-honors-funeral/">The Washington Post reported,</a> adding, “Any service member who was on active duty at the time of their death is eligible, as is any former service member who was honorably discharged.”
Babbitt was 35 when she entered the Capitol building and gained access to a hallway outside “Speaker’s Lobby,” which leads to the Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/department-justice-closes-investigation-death-ashli-babbitt?utm_source=chatgpt.com">noted,</a> adding, “At the time, the USCP (United States Capitol Police) was evacuating Members from the Chamber, which the mob was trying to enter from multiple doorways.” Babbitt was unarmed at the time.
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The USCP officers used furniture to barricade a set of glass doors separating the hallway and Speaker’s Lobby; three officers positioned themselves between the doors. Protesters broke the glass doors, allowing Babbitt to attempt to climb through one of the doors. An officer inside the Speaker’s Lobby fired one round from his service pistol, which hit Babbitt in the left shoulder. She was taken to Washington Hospital Center, where she later died.
The DOJ decided there was insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution of the police officer, stating, “Prosecutors would have to prove not only that the officer used force that was constitutionally unreasonable, but that the officer did so ‘willfully, which the Supreme Court has interpreted to mean that the officer acted with a bad purpose to disregard the law. &#8230; the investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber.”
In January 2024, Babbitt’s family members <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/doj-reaches-agreement-principle-settle-lawsuit-brought-family/story?id=121409667">sued</a> the federal government, seeking $30 million, claiming she had been wrongfully killed.
“The lawsuit filed by Babbitt’s family alleged that Babbitt did not go to Washington’ for any unlawful or nefarious purpose,’ had her hands in the air when she was shot and ‘posed no threat to the safety of anyone,’” the Post noted.
In May 2025, the Department of Justice reached a settlement with Ashli Babbitt’s family, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/19/us-news/family-of-jan-6-rioter-ashli-babbitt-gets-5m-settlement-from-trump-admin-reports/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">agreeing</a> later that month to pay them just under $5 million.

Ashli Babbit

Ashli Babbitt Remembered: Air Force To Give Full Military Funeral Honors To Jan. 6 Victim

Air Force

Ashli Babbitt

Military

U.S.

The Department of Justice is reportedly set to settle a lawsuit brought by the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was killed on January 6, 2021, in the U.S. Capitol, for $5 million.
Babbitt’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government last year, seeking $30 million. The Justice Department previously opposed the suit and planned to argue against it in a trial scheduled for July 2026.
Attorneys for the Justice Department and for Babbitt’s family said at a May 2 hearing that they had agreed to a settlement to end the case, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/05/19/ashli-babbitt-lawsuit-settlement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a>. No deal was filed, and U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes ordered the parties to update the court about the agreement this coming Thursday, May 22.
The settlement is reportedly an agreement by the Trump administration to pay Babbitt’s family $5 million. Babbitt was fatally shot by a police officer on January 6 after entering the U.S. Capitol.
The Babbitt family is being represented in the case by Judicial Watch, whose president, Tom Fitton, declined to comment on the settlement in a post on X.
“[Judicial Watch] can&#8217;t yet comment on the Ashli Babbitt settlement amount that is being reported because the settlement still hasn&#8217;t been finalized. But I can say, contrary to initial WPOST report, [Judicial Watch] is not getting a third (or any portion) of any settlement. We are representing Ashil&#8217;s family pro bono!” Fitton posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/JudicialWatch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JudicialWatch</a> can&#39;t yet comment on the Ashli Babbitt settlement amount that is being reported because the settlement still hasn&#39;t been finalized. But I can say, contrary to initial WPOST report, <a href="https://twitter.com/JudicialWatch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JudicialWatch</a> is not getting a third (or any portion) of any settlement. We are… <a href="https://t.co/Cn35tbXd5H">https://t.co/Cn35tbXd5H</a>
&mdash; Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomFitton/status/1924552757270167958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia conducted an investigation into Babbitt&#8217;s death, and released its findings in April 2021. Investigators concluded that the police officer who shot Babbitt did not violate federal laws “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“Specifically, the investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber,” the U.S. attorney’s office <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/department-justice-closes-investigation-death-ashli-babbitt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
President Donald Trump has taken a more sympathetic view of those involved in January 6. On his first day in office, Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/granting-pardons-and-commutation-of-sentences-for-certain-offenses-relating-to-the-events-at-or-near-the-united-states-capitol-on-january-6-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a sweeping clemency order for all of the nearly 1,600 people charged in connection with the Capitol riot. Most received full pardons while over a dozen others had their sentences commuted. Those who had not yet been tried had their cases dropped.

January 6th Solidarity Rally

Trump Admin Reportedly Reaches Settlement With Family Of Ashli Babbitt

Department of Justice

Judicial Watch

The Jasper County, Indiana, Sheriff&#8217;s Office released dashcam footage on Thursday showing last month&#8217;s traffic stop where a man pardoned by President Donald Trump was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/man-who-received-j6-pardon-shot-and-killed-during-traffic-stop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot and killed</a> during an altercation with a deputy.
Matthew Huttle of Hobart, Indiana — who benefited from Trump&#8217;s sweeping January 6 Capitol riot pardons — allegedly resisted arrest after being pulled over on January 26. Huttle, who was stopped on State Road 14 for driving 70 mph in a 55 mph zone, told the deputy, &#8220;I just want to let you know that I&#8217;m a January 6th defendant,&#8221; according to body cam footage, the Indianapolis Star <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2025/02/27/body-cam-footage-jan-6-defendants-traffic-stop-shooting-death-released-matthew-huttle-jasper-county/80731312007/#body-cam-matthew-huttle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;What do you mean?&#8221; the deputy asked.
&#8220;I stormed the Capitol. I&#8217;m waiting on my pardon,&#8221; Huttle replied, adding, &#8220;Yeah, and I can&#8217;t really afford to get into any trouble right now.&#8221;
He then admitted to driving without a license. Informed that his felony offense requires that the officer transport him to jail, Huttle said, &#8220;I can&#8217;t do it. No, I can&#8217;t go to jail for this, sir.&#8221;
The bodycam footage appears to have been taken down by YouTube. Dashcam <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-B64wlUUOs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">footage</a> of the incident is still on the platform and shows Huttle sprinting to the driver&#8217;s side door and reaching into the vehicle.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Public Release of Officer Involved Shooting from 1/26/2025" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v-B64wlUUOs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The Clinton County, Indiana, Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the case and said that the deputy chased Huttle before a struggle ensued. After jumping into the car, Huttle allegedly raised a gun and said, &#8220;I&#8217;m shooting myself.&#8221; The prosecutor&#8217;s office <a href="https://www.in.gov/sheriffs/jasper/files/Jasper-County-OIS-Final-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concluded</a> that the officer &#8220;was legally justified in using deadly force to defend himself.&#8221;
&#8220;Believing that Huttle posed a deadly threat, the Deputy fired multiple shots, striking Huttle. The Deputy then retreated to his vehicle and awaited backup. Lifesaving measures were attempted, but Huttle was pronounced deceased at the scene,&#8221; the prosecutor&#8217;s office said.
During the traffic stop, Huttle &#8220;was found to be a Habitual Traffic Violator,&#8221; a felony under Indiana law, according to the prosecutor&#8217;s office. The 42-year-old Indiana man previously spent time behind bars for a driving offense.
Shortly after being released from jail for his previous offense, Huttle attended the rally at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021. He later pled guilty to entering a restricted building after being inside the U.S. Capitol for 16 minutes. Huttle&#8217;s defense attorney, Andrew Hemmer, said that his client was “not a true believer in any political cause” but was only at the Trump rally that day “because he thought it would be a historic moment and he had nothing better to do after getting out of jail.”

Sheriff’s Dept Releases Footage Of Officer Fatally Shooting J6 Defendant

Indiana

Law Enforcement

Shooting

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> Republicans are starting up a new panel to investigate events leading up to and after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6</a>, 2021, Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) revealed on Wednesday.
A new select subcommittee is being established under the House Judiciary Committee and will be chaired by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), who led the counter-probe into the U.S. Capitol breach and the Democrat-led January 6 Committee, leading to a report that demanded <a href="https://cha.house.gov/_cache/files/6/d/6dae7b82-7683-4f56-a177-ba98695e600d/145DD5A70E967DEEC1F511764D3E6FA1.final-interim-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">further inquiry</a> into its leaders — Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) — for suspected wrongdoing related to data retention and witnesses.
&#8220;House Republicans are proud of our work so far in exposing the false narratives peddled by the politically motivated January 6 Select Committee during the 117th Congress, but there is still more work to be done,&#8221; Johnson said in a statement. &#8220;We are establishing this Select Subcommittee to continue our efforts to uncover the full truth that is owed to the American people. The composition and other details regarding the Select Subcommittee will be announced soon.&#8221;
The announcement comes after President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> issued a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-issues-full-pardon-to-nearly-all-j6-defendants-could-be-released-from-prison-tonight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sweeping executive order</a> on Monday, hours into his second term, granting pardons to about 1,500 criminal defendants related to the January 6 Capitol riot. That move followed former President Joe Biden issuing preemptive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-issues-last-minute-pardons-for-fauci-mark-milley-and-jan-6-committee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pardons</a> to members of the January 6 Committee right before he left office, including Thompson and Cheney, and others. Trump himself faced a criminal prosecutions tied to the 2020 election and January 6, but they faltered after the 2024 presidential contest.
&#8220;I am honored to be tasked with continuing the investigation into the events surrounding January 6, 2021, and the failures that led to the breach of the United States Capitol,&#8221; Loudermilk said in a statement. &#8220;What happened at the Capitol that day was the result of a series of intelligence, security, and leadership failures at multiple levels within numerous entities. I appreciate Speaker Johnson’s commitment to our work, and I am looking forward to working with Chairman Jim Jordan to continue to uncover all the facts and begin the arduous task of making needed reforms to ensure this level of security failure may never happen again.”
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In a statement of his own, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) said &#8220;Loudermilk has been the leader in getting to the bottom of what the Democrat-led January 6 Committee failed to uncover, and we look forward to helping him bring all the facts to the American people.&#8221;
After receiving their pardons, Thompson and Cheney released a joint <a href="https://www.wlbt.com/2025/01/20/thomspon-cheney-release-statement-wake-presidential-pardon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> thanking Biden and lamenting how they were being subject to continued scrutiny.
&#8220;We express our gratitude to President Biden for recognizing that we and our families have been continuously targeted not only with harassment, lies, and threats of criminal violence but also with specific threats of criminal prosecution and imprisonment by members of the incoming administration, simply for doing our jobs and upholding our oath of office,&#8221; the pair said, adding, &#8220;We have been pardoned today not for breaking the law but for upholding it.&#8221;

Mike Johnson

House Republicans Launch New January 6 Panel

Bennie Thompson

January 6 Committee

Jim Jordan

Liz Cheney

U.S. House of Representatives

Some January 6 defendants were reportedly not released from a Washington, D.C. jail on Monday night, following President Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-issues-full-pardon-to-nearly-all-j6-defendants-could-be-released-from-prison-tonight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sweeping Executive Order</a> offering full pardons, dismissals, or commutations to nearly all defendants.
A White House liaison showed up at the jail late Monday and said two brothers, Andrew Valentin, 26, and Matthew Valentin, 31, had been released, per Trump&#8217;s order.
However, people gathered outside the jail said there were other defendants still inside:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In a somewhat bizarre scene just now, a person saying he’s a liaison from the White House came to the DC Jail and announced that the January 6 pardon releases here occurred, but that only two people came out.
Confusing situation as dozens more presumably inside. <a href="https://t.co/q5QTPKkMC1">pic.twitter.com/q5QTPKkMC1</a>
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) <a href="https://twitter.com/FordFischer/status/1881553088773017960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
A possible explanation was posted on X by WUSA 9 investigative reporter Jordan Fischer. Basically, Trump&#8217;s order gave full pardons to almost everyone convicted of J6-related crimes. However, if someone is in jail and still awaiting trial, their case, per the order, will be dismissed. The dismissal of such cases could take longer to process, according to Fischer.
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&#8220;Trump&#8217;s order pardoned people *convicted* of crimes related to Jan. 6. Defendants still awaiting trial or sentencing &#8212; the vast majority at the jail &#8212; have not been pardoned,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Trump ordered their cases dismissed. That&#8217;s not going to happen at 11 p.m. on a federal holiday.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump&#8217;s order pardoned people *convicted* of crimes related to Jan. 6.
Defendants still awaiting trial or sentencing &#8212; the vast majority at the jail &#8212; have not been pardoned. Trump ordered their cases dismissed. That&#8217;s not going to happen at 11 p.m. on a federal holiday. <a href="https://t.co/xCObUvHOF7">https://t.co/xCObUvHOF7</a>
— Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanOnRecord/status/1881570388129481054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;The confusion is understandable,&#8221; Fischer added. &#8220;Pardoning is something the president can do by fiat. Dismissing a federal case requires a U.S attorney to file a motion with the presiding judge, who then must grant the motion and order the defendant&#8217;s release.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
The confusion is understandable. Pardoning is something the president can do by fiat. Dismissing a federal case requires a U.S attorney to file a motion with the presiding judge, who then must grant the motion and order the defendant&#8217;s release. <a href="https://t.co/YwGh0ocR8J">https://t.co/YwGh0ocR8J</a>
— Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanOnRecord/status/1881573026204143739?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
The explanation might follow with some defendants still awaiting trial, but numerous reports online say convicted J6 defendants&#8217; release are still being delayed, too.
Here&#8217;s the language from Trump&#8217;s executive order about such cases: &#8220;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.&#8221;
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Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R), though, has excoriated the D.C. jail for not releasing all defendants immediately. Lee said he&#8217;s working to verify why the delay is happening, and said D.C.&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://wamu.org/story/24/11/15/friday-chat-dc-home-rule/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Home Rule</a>&#8221; should be repealed.
“Last night, from what we can tell, after Trump issued a pardon for a number of prisoners involved with January 6th, there were only two released last night,&#8221; Lee said. &#8220;I spoke to someone last night who had gone down personally to the D.C. jail, saw that only two of them had been released, and jail officials at the D. C. jail announced that they wouldn&#8217;t be releasing any more last night.&#8221;
&#8220;Now, this is not hard, Glenn,&#8221; Lee continued. &#8220;They have names, and they have pardons. They can identify those prisoners who have been pardoned. Trump&#8217;s directive was that they were to be released immediately, as one should when one sees that somebody has been pardoned, [yet] they still weren&#8217;t out.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re still trying to get names, numbers, and verify how this is happening,&#8221; Lee added. &#8220;But from what we can tell, they haven&#8217;t complied with it yet.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Did DC prison officials only release TWO J6 prisoners after Trump pardoned 1500? <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMikeLee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenMikeLee</a> tells me this appears to be TRUE: “From what we can tell, they haven’t complied with it yet. It’s yet another reason to revisit DC’s Home Rule, which I think should be repealed.” <a href="https://t.co/y4XY1uzgjy">pic.twitter.com/y4XY1uzgjy</a>
— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) <a href="https://twitter.com/glennbeck/status/1881734207484891250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-issues-full-pardon-to-nearly-all-j6-defendants-could-be-released-from-prison-tonight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Issues Full Pardon To Nearly All J6 Defendants, Could Be Released From Prison ‘Tonight’</a>

January 6 Capitol Riot

DC Jail Reportedly Refuses To Release Some J6 Defendants. What’s Going On?

Executive Orders

President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> already has a game plan to dole out <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6</a> pardons soon after he begins his second term, according to a report on Sunday, roughly 24 hours before the inauguration.
Two sources told CNN that &#8220;Trump and his team have drafted a slate of pardons for people convicted for their role on Jan 6 to be issued on day one, shortly after Trump is sworn into the White House,&#8221; CNN reporter Alayna Treene <a href="https://x.com/alaynatreene/status/1880999808154116313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X.
&#8220;The extent of the initial pardons is still unclear, however, one of the sources described them as enough to be seen as &#8216;delivering on his long-held promise,'&#8221; Treene added. &#8220;Trump has repeatedly said he planned to swiftly pardon people who were convicted for their role in the Jan 6 attack.&#8221;
She concluded: &#8220;During a December interview with Time Magazine, Trump said: &#8216;I&#8217;ll be looking at J6 early on, maybe the first nine minutes.'&#8221;
The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/47-months-jan-6-attack-us-capitol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> more than 1,500 people have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-still-aggressively-prosecuting-january-6-defendants-as-pardons-loom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prosecuted</a> in connection to the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, when Congress met to certify President Joe Biden&#8217;s 2020 election victory over Trump. Many of the defendants pleaded guilty or were found guilty, and several hundred of them were sentenced to prison.
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Vice President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JD Vance</a>, who is slated to be sworn into office on Monday alongside Trump, spoke last weekend about the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vance-reveals-simple-approach-to-january-6-pardons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;simple&#8221; process</a> by which Trump planned to conduct <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/january-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 6</a> pardons, suggesting that people who were convicted of non-violent crimes only will receive clemency.
&#8220;Look, if you protested peacefully on January the 6th, and you&#8217;ve had Merrick Garland&#8217;s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned. If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn&#8217;t be pardoned,&#8221; Vance said on &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; with anchor Shannon Bream.
Vance also said: &#8220;And there&#8217;s a little bit of a gray area there. But we&#8217;re very much committed to seeing the equal administration of law. And there are a lot of people, we think in the wake of January the 6th, who were prosecuted unfairly. We need to rectify that.&#8221;
The Associated Press <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/heres-where-jan-6-trials-stand-on-the-fourth-anniversary-of-the-capitol-riot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has reported that</a> hundreds of defendants &#8220;who did not engage in destruction or violence were charged only with misdemeanor offenses for entering the Capitol illegally,&#8221; while others faced more serious charges related to violence or conspiracy.
In December, Trump <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-interview-meet-press-kristen-welker-election-president-rcna182857" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News that his team was &#8220;looking at&#8221; the prospect of pardoning January 6 defendants on the first day of his second term. &#8220;Those people have suffered long and hard,&#8221; Trump said. However, Trump also conceded &#8220;there may be some exceptions&#8221; when it comes to dolling out pardons.

Trump Reportedly Drafted ‘Slate’ Of ‘Day One’ January 6 Pardons

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Inauguration

Pardon

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