Trump will 'very, very seriously' consider January 6 pardons if elected president again

Republican leader says he is providing help to some people involved in the 2021 attack

Former president Donald Trump said he would strongly consider pardoning people convicted for their roles in the January 6 insurrection if he were to take the White House again. Reuters

Former US president Donald Trump said he would strongly consider pardoning those convicted over their role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection if he were again elected to office — and would possibly go a step further.

More than 900 people have been charged in connection with the insurrection, including more than 250 facing charges of assault or impeding law enforcement.

Others have been charged with seditious conspiracy.

“I will look very, very favourably [into] full pardons. If I decide to run and if I win, I will be looking very, very strongly [into] pardons, full pardons,” Mr Trump, who is considering a new run for president in 2024, told radio host Wendy Bell.

The attack on the Capitol led to several deaths and injured more than 140 police officers.

Mr Trump signalled he could go even further by issuing a US government apology to those convicted. He also said on Thursday that he was providing help to some of those involved.

“I am financially supporting people that are incredible and they were in my office actually two days ago. It's very much on my mind. It's a disgrace what they've done to them,” he said.

A US House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection claimed the former president watched television programmes as his supporters breached the Capitol building and refused to address the violence for several hours.

Liz Cheney, the panel's vice chairwoman, said the former president could face several criminal referrals for his actions during the riot.

Reuters contributed to this report