On his first working day as president of the United States, Donald Trump single-handedly closed nearly 1,600 cases related to participants in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. This was reported by CNN on Tuesday, January 21.
On Monday, January 20, the new head of the White House signed a pardon for nearly 1,270 individuals convicted for their involvement in the Capitol attack. He also instructed the Department of Justice to close around 300 unresolved cases and ordered the release of a group of 14 defendants who were accused of the most serious charges of inciting insurrection.
As noted by CNN, a number of influential figures, including Trump’s advisors and his allies in the Republican Party, expected the president to pardon only those convicted of minor offenses. However, the order signed by Trump grants “full, absolute, and unconditional pardon” to approximately 600 individuals convicted of assaulting police officers or obstructing law enforcement during the riots.
“This group included individuals such as Julian Cater, who attacked U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick and later pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers with a dangerous weapon; Devlin Thompson, who struck a police officer with a metal baton; and Robert Palmer, a Florida resident, who assaulted police officers with a fire extinguisher, a wooden board, and a stick,” the report states.
Donald Trump commuted the sentences of 14 participants from American far-right groups Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, who were convicted or charged with inciting insurrection.
The president's order also mandates the U.S. Attorney General to close around 300 unresolved cases that are still pending in the courts.
Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi stated that the president's actions are “an outrageous affront to the American justice system and to the heroes who have suffered physical scars and emotional trauma while defending the Capitol, Congress, and the Constitution.”
“It is disgraceful that the President has chosen to make betraying and abandoning the police officers who risked their lives to stop an attempt to undermine the peaceful transfer of power one of his priorities. Despite the President's decision, we must always remember the extraordinary courage and bravery of the law enforcement heroes who stood up for democracy on that dark day,” Pelosi wrote.
On January 20, Donald Trump also signed orders imposing a 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico and Canada starting February 1. The president also issued orders to withdraw the country from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement.
According to the AP agency, the president signed an order to suspend all American foreign aid programs for 90 days until a review of their alignment with U.S. national interests and American foreign policy goals is completed.
The Capitol Riot – What We Know
On January 6, 2021, thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in Washington, attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The actions of the rioters forced members of the U.S. Congress to temporarily evacuate; however, after the break, lawmakers were able to confirm President Joe Biden's victory.
The unrest on January 6 resulted in the deaths of five individuals, and about 140 law enforcement officers were injured. In total, over 700 participants in the events have been charged in connection with the riots in Washington and the storming of the U.S. Capitol building.
On January 13, 2021, the House of Representatives charged former President Donald Trump with inciting a crowd and impeached him. Subsequently, the Senate acquitted Trump. Several commercial companies and organizations refused to work with Donald Trump as a result of the events of January 6, including the blocking of his accounts on several social media platforms.
It is worth noting that a law enacted during the Civil War prohibits conspiracy to overthrow or destroy the government and prescribes a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.