Former President Donald Trump says that if he runs and is re-elected, he will consider pardons for people who have been charged over their actions at the Capitol protest on January 6, 2021.
Trump made the comments about considering pardons "very strongly and very favorably" while being interviewed by conservative radio host Wendy Bell on Thursday.
During the interview, Trump also said that he has been "financially supporting" some of the defendants. He told the radio host that some even visited his office earlier this week.
“I am financially supporting people that are incredible and they were in my office actually two days ago, so they’re very much in my mind,” Trump said.
“It’s a disgrace what they’ve done to them. What they’ve done to these people is disgraceful,” he added.
Though he admitted to considering pardons, Trump once again refused to conclusively state that he is running in 2024.
When asked by Bell if he would announce his candidacy on her show, Trump said that "the time is coming closer" and cited campaign finance laws for not yet announcing his decision.
"Well the time is coming closer and I think you’re gonna be really happy. You have campaign finance laws that [don’t] allow you to … it’s crazy. It’s not smart. If you say it, everything changes and you have reporting and you have all things. But I will be doing something and I think you’re going to be happy," Trump asserted.
In their report on the interview, The Hill noted that "to date, more than 860 people across the country have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riot. More than 350 have pleaded guilty to a variety of crimes. More than 115 have been incarcerated for their role in the riot."
That number is likely to continue to grow.
As Timcast previously reported, Kellye SoRelle, 43, a lawyer for the Oath Keepers, was arrested on Thursday on four charges related to January 6. Two of the felony charges are related to obstructing an official proceeding while electoral votes were being counted and the third is for obstructing the investigation into the the events of January 6.
SoRelle has also been charged with a misdemeanor for entering the Capitol on January 6.
