Donald Trump’s Pardons
President Trump pardoned 1500 insurrectionists who tried to overthrow the government on January 6, 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/trump-set-pardon-defendants-stormed-capitol-jan-6-2021-rcna187735 Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, and Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, had been sentenced to 22 and 18 years respectively for seditious conspiracy. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/24/trump-pardon-proud-boys-enrique-tarrio They are now out, thanking Trump, threatening revenge, and plotting to rebuild their extremist organizations.
By contrast, several of the January 6 defendants have rejected Trump’s pardons, saying their actions were wrongful, that they regret them.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/26/convicted-january-6-attacker-rejects-trump-pardon
One January 6 defendant was recently shot during a traffic stop after an armed altercation with a local police officer. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgp9jgp7m0o Yet another defendant is back in court yet again on a more recent weapons charge. https://kfor.com/news/man-who-got-jan-6-pardon-is-arrested-on-federal-gun-charge/ Yet a third is facing charges for child sex abuse. https://sg.news.yahoo.com/jan-6-rioter-pardoned-trump-224735197.html
More than 600 of the January 6 defendants had been charged with assaulting the police defending the US Capitol. The police unions that had endorsed Trump during the presidential election condemned his pardons of those who had assaulted the police.
Under the US Constitution, the President’s pardon power is nearly unrestricted by the Congressional and Judicial Branches of government as to federal criminal convictions. It however does not apply to state courts and state convictions.