Trump Defends Pardons for Jan. 6 Rioters, Claims They Were Victims

President Trump asserts that individuals convicted of assaulting police during the Capitol attack were unjustly treated by the government and describes his pardons as a humanitarian act.

President Trump pardoned nearly 1,600 individuals convicted or accused of crimes related to the January 6 Capitol attack, including over 200 charged with assaulting police officers.
In a press briefing aboard Air Force One, Trump claimed the rioters were victims of government mistreatment, despite extensive evidence of their violent actions.
More than 140 police officers were injured during the Capitol attack, with several deaths linked to the event, yet Trump described the rioters' actions as 'minor incidents' in previous statements.
The pardons have faced widespread criticism, including from legal experts and political scientists, who view them as an attempt to rewrite historical events.
A recent Pew Research Center poll shows that 74% of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, disapprove of Trump's pardons for violent January 6 offenders.