In his first major news interview since being elected president for the second time in 2024, Donald Trump renewed a divisive vow made before, vowing to pardon anyone associated with the January 6 breach into the United States Capitol, which involved violence after losing the 2020 presidential race.
During his interview with NBC’s Meet the Press host Kristen Welker, Trump indicated that he would act fast in pardoning those convicted in connection with the attack and promised to do so on his “first day” in office.
“I’m going to be acting very quickly. First day,” Trump stated, defending those who participated in the Capitol attack. He argued that they had been subjected to a “very nasty system” and claimed that many of them were pressured into guilty pleas. “Their whole lives have been destroyed,” Trump added, calling the legal process that followed the January 6 riot unfair and corrupt.
Trump’s Claims On Capitol Attackers
During the interview, Trump also commented on the actions of the rioters. He made a controversial statement by suggesting that some of the rioters had no choice but to participate in the attack. “They had no choice,” he said, criticizing the treatment of those involved. He also referred to debunked conspiracy theories about law enforcement officers allegedly infiltrating the rioters’ ranks, claiming that anti-Trump individuals had aggravated the attack.
This defense of rioters by Trump sparked outrage, especially given the violence that erupted on that day. Law enforcement officers, including several who later took their own lives, were subjected to extreme trauma due to the rioting. When asked about the violent attacks on police officers, Trump refused to denounce the attacks and told the rioters that the justice system was unfair to them.
Fallout Of January 6 And Legal Consequences
Over 1,250 people have been convicted or pleaded guilty in connection with the January 6 attack. Among them, over 645 have received prison sentences ranging from a few days to as long as 22 years. Yet, some of the rioters still hope for clemency. One of those is Philip Sean Grillo from New York City. During his sentencing, he boldly proclaimed, “Trump’s gonna pardon me anyway,” even as he was sentenced to one year in prison.
Another rioter, Edward Kelley, was convicted of conspiracy to murder federal employees after he generated a list of officials he had wanted to target in connection with the Capitol riot. That is one example of some rioters’ violent intention on January 6, insurrection.
Trump Position On Tariffs And Massive Deportations
Apart from his view on pardoning the rioters of January 6, Trump discussed his strategy on other key issues such as tariffs and immigration. The former president reasserted his commitment to imposing tariffs on imports from some of the U.S.’s largest trading partners. Although he admitted that such action would increase the price of America’s products to consumers in the United States, he was strong on the policy, insisting it was necessary for the United States’ long-term future.
When asked about what he intended to do for mass deportations, he doubled down on his firm stance on immigration. Trump said that mixed-status families would be most impacted. “I don’t want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back,” he explained. His comments stirred concerns over possible effects on U.S.-born children who live in mixed-status households and would have to face deportation, which would result in the revocation of their legal citizenship.
He also addressed his plans to end birthright citizenship, a promise he had made during his first presidential campaign. “We have to end it,” Trump said, indicating that he would challenge the 14th Amendment, which gives citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil.
Healthcare was another topic that came up. Welker asked Trump if he had developed a comprehensive plan to overhaul the healthcare system, an issue he had promised to address during his debates with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump responded vaguely, saying, “We have concepts of a plan that would be better,” but provided no concrete details on what that plan would entail.
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