Overview

• Donald Trump has suggested the possibility of a compensation fund for the roughly 1,500 individuals he pardoned in January for their roles in the January 6 Capitol riot.
• In a Newsmax interview, Trump described the rioters as 'patriots' and claimed they were treated 'very unfairly' by the government.
• Some of the pardoned individuals have since faced legal issues for unrelated crimes, including charges of sexual abuse and domestic violence.
• Trump also pledged to 'look into' the shooting death of Ashli Babbitt, who was killed by a Capitol Police officer during the riot, as her family continues a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit against the U.S. government.
• Critics have condemned the proposed compensation fund, citing concerns about undermining accountability and using taxpayer money to reward individuals involved in the attack.