President-elect Donald Trump signaled plans to issue mass pardons for individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and vowed to restructure the “Democrat-controlled” Department of Justice.
Trump made these remarks just over an hour after President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night.
“Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
The president-elect is correct in his statement. Several people arrested on various charges nearly four years ago are being held without bond and still do not have court dates, which appears to be an obvious violation of the Sixth Amendment’s right to a speedy trial, among other guarantees.
Trump, who regained the White House last month, announced plans to pardon more than 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot—covering both those awaiting trial and those already convicted—during his campaign. This declaration came while Congress was in the midst of certifying President Biden’s victory in the 2020 election over Trump.
Earlier, Trump’s transition team released a statement that criticized the Justice Department and pledged to reform the federal agency, though the statement did not mention Biden or his son.
“The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said. “That system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people.”
Hunter, 54, is no longer facing sentencing for separate federal gun and tax evasion cases that were scheduled for later this month, the New York Post reported.
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in September to nine counts related to evading $1.4 million in taxes and was convicted in June on three federal gun charges for possessing a firearm while addicted to crack cocaine.
Joe Biden asserted on Sunday that his son was “selectively and unfairly prosecuted” and issued a comprehensive pardon covering any offenses committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. He initially pledged that he would not pardon his son.
