Former President Donald Trump promised Wednesday night that if he is elected he will pardon a "large portion" of the people convicted of federal offenses for their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
"I am inclined to pardon many of them," Trump said at a town hall hosted by CNN at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. "I can't say for every single one, because a couple of them, probably they got out of control."
He added that "most likely" he would pardon "a large portion of them."
"And it'll be very early on," Trump said.
More than 600 people involved in the Jan. 6 attack have been convicted, with more than 480 sentenced. Hundreds of additional Jan. 6 rioters have been identified but not yet charged.
In his bid for president, Trump has been embracing the cause of his supporters who stormed the Capitol in their attempt to deny Joe Biden the presidency after the 2020 election.
He has touted the "J6 Prison Choir" and its song, "Justice for All," which features Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance mixed with the national anthem sung by people incarcerated and awaiting trial. Trump played the song at his first 2024 campaign rally.
At a campaign stop late last month in Manchester, New Hampshire, Trump embraced a woman who served prison time for her actions during the Capitol attack.
Trump told her to "hang in there," called her a "terrific woman" and said it was "so bad" what had been done to the Jan. 6 "patriots."
