President Donald Trump pardoned approximately 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants on Monday, marking his first major executive action after being sworn in as president and fulfilling a key campaign promise to release those he repeatedly called “hostages.”
The sweeping clemency includes prominent Proud Boys leaders, with former chief Enrique Tarrio expected to be released from his 22-year seditious conspiracy sentence, according to his attorney Nayib Hassan. Fellow leader Joe Biggs, who was serving 17 years, is also being processed for release.
“We’re going to release our great hostages,” Trump declared at Washington’s Capital One Arena, reported Reuters. The Bureau of Prisons confirmed immediate releases are possible pending documentation.
The action follows former President Joe Biden‘s pre-emptive pardons in his final hours, which shielded his family members and key officials, including the entire Jan. 6 House Select Committee and their staff. Biden’s pardons also protected Dr. Anthony Fauci and former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley from what he called “unjustified politically motivated prosecutions.”
Over 600 people were originally charged with assaulting or obstructing police during the Capitol riot, according to Justice Department figures. The unprecedented scale of Trump’s pardons signals potential market volatility, particularly in sectors sensitive to political uncertainty.
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