Trump said he'd consider pardoning January 6 rioters if he's reelected, but still hasn't confirmed his candidacy

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Trump said he'd consider pardoning January 6 rioters if he's reelected, but still hasn't confirmed his candidacy
Kenneth Harrelson (with the green arrow above him) was seen inside the Capitol Rotunda taking photos or videos on January 6, 2021.Department of Justice
  • Trump said he would treat Capitol rioters "fairly" if he was re-elected, possibly pardoning them.
  • He did not officially announce a bid for re-election during a rally in Conroe, Texas, on Saturday.
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During a rally in Conroe, Texas, on Saturday, former President Donald Trump said he'd consider pardoning people charged and sentenced in connection to the January 6 riot if he decides to run and is reelected.

"If I run and if I win, we will treat those people from January 6 fairly. We will treat them fairly," Trump said. "And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons. Because they are being treated so unfairly."

So far, 761 people have been charged in the Capitol insurrection.

Trump did not formally announce a reelection campaign but hinted towards it during his speech on Saturday.

"And in 2024, we are going to take back that beautiful, beautiful house that happens to be white, that is so magnificent, and that we all love. We are going to take back the White House," Trump said during his speech.

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Trump was critical of the rioter's sentences and prison conditions.

"This hasn't happened to all of the other atrocities that took place recently. Nothing like this has happened. What that 'unselect' committee is doing and what the people are doing that are running those prisons, it's a disgrace," Trump said.

The House of Representatives voted in January 2021 to impeach Trump over his role in inciting the riot. It was the second time the former president was impeached.

This is also not the first time Trump has promised to pardon his allies and supporters. During his final week in office, he issued more than 140 pardons and commutations including to his former chief strategist Steve Bannon. He'd previously pardoned allies like Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, and George Papadopoulos.

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