President Donald Trump, on his first day in office, through an executive order pardoned 1,500 people convicted of charges related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, fulfilling a promise often mentioned during the 2024 presidential campaign.
During an executive order signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, President Trump said he has commuted the sentences of 14 people convicted of violent acts during the attack on the Capitol.
Leaders of the far-right Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are among those serving prison sentences for their roles in the violence at the Capitol. More than 600 people have been charged with assaulting or obstructing police during the violent protest, according to Justice Department records.
President Trump pledged during his 2024 campaign to pardon many of the accused, arguing that they had been treated unfairly by the legal system.