Donald Trump Says He Will ‘Most Likely’ Pardon Jan. 6 Capitol Rioters on Day 1 of His Second Term

Donald Trump has stated that he will “most likely” pardon those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, starting on the first day he takes office for his second term.

On Sunday, Dec. 8, the president-elect, 78, sat down with NBC’s Kristen Welker for a wide-ranging interview on Meet the Press, and spoke about his plans to pardon those who have been charged with crimes for their roles in the Capitol riots. He told Welker that he and his associates are “looking at it right now.”

As NBC News reports, more than 1,251 people have been convicted or pleaded guilty in connection to the Capitol attack, with at least 1,572 defendants having been charged in total. Per the outlet, at least 645 defendants were sentenced to periods ranging from a few days to 22 years in federal lockup, with 250 people currently in custody.

“Those people have suffered long, hard,” Trump told Welker. “There may be some exceptions to it, I have to look.”

“Their lives have been destroyed… These people have been in jail, I hear that jail is a hellhole,” Trump added. “So yeah, most likely I’ll do it very quickly.”

The president-elect then spoke about what he called the “corrupt system,” before confirming that he and his staff will “look at everything,” including “individual cases,” and will be “acting very quickly.”

Trump will be taking office for his second term in the White House on Jan. 20.

“I’m looking [at] first day,” he said. “These people have been there, how long has it been, three or four years? They’re in a filthy, disgusting place that shouldn’t even be allowed to be open.”

Trump’s interview with Welker, 48, was filmed two days prior to its air date on Friday, Dec. 6, according to a press release from NBC. It marked Trump’s first network interview since winning the 2024 presidential election.

Welker last sat down with Trump for an interview on NBC in September 2023. During the 2024 election cycle, Trump rarely spoke with mainstream media outlets, opting to mostly do interviews with Fox News and various podcasts instead.

Last month, Trump won the 2024 presidential election when he surpassed the 270 Electoral College votes necessary to secure the presidency in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 6. Trump, who previously served as president from 2017 to 2021, clinched a rare non-consecutive term and became the first convicted felon and the oldest person elected to the role.

His opponent, Kamala Harris, who made history as America’s first woman vice president on the winning ticket with President Joe Biden in 2020, became the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major party’s presidential ticket.

Meet the Press airs Sundays on NBC.