Here's good news for criminals serving time in prison for attempting to overthrow the United States government on January 6 and install Trump as dictator: when Trump assumes office in January 2025, he will reward you for your loyalty with a "day one" pardon, a "full apology," and the return of your weapons, which felons aren't allowed to possess. He will also direct his Attorney General to halt all ongoing January 6-related investigations.
As reported in NPR, Trump would have the legal right to take these actions as President of the United States:
Trump would have wide latitude to issue pardons. Scholars have called that presidential power a "near-blank check," unrestrained by other branches of government.
"Legally, there's not much that Congress or the courts can do to stop the president from granting clemency," said Jeffrey Crouch, an assistant professor at American University and author of "The Presidential Pardon Power."
"Presidents since George Washington have granted clemency to groups of people in volatile situations," Crouch said, noting, for example, the mass pardon of Confederate rebels for treason after the Civil War.
As president, Trump would also have the power to instruct his Attorney General to cease all Jan. 6-related investigations.
Jan. 6 defendants and their families have celebrated Trump's promise. Experts on extremism, however, fear that Trump's agenda will embolden extremists and encourage political violence. Police officers who were assaulted in the riot say they continue to receive violent threats from Trump supporters, underscoring the ongoing threat. And President Joe Biden has condemned Trump's plan.
