Former President Donald Trump appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday morning, sitting down with host Kristen Welker for a wide-ranging discussion. During the interview, Trump addressed the fate of individuals detained in connection with the January 6 Capitol incident, many of whom he and his supporters have described as victims of political persecution.
When asked about the possibility of pardoning those he referred to as “January 6 political prisoners,” Trump was unequivocal, pledging to act swiftly if reelected.
“On day one,” he declared, emphasizing his commitment to reviewing the cases of those who, according to him, have been unfairly targeted and mistreated by the justice system. Trump accused the U.S. government and media of orchestrating a campaign of harassment and defamation against these individuals.
Last month, the judge overseeing the trial of a January 6 defendant agreed to postpone the man’s trial until after inauguration day.
The defendant, William Pope, argued that the trial may be meaningless if President-elect Donald Trump pardons those involved in the 2021 protest.
Judge Rudolph Contreras reportedly said following Pope’s argument motion to delay the trial, “There’s a real possibility of that happening,” referring to the belief that Trump will pardon January 6 protesters.
Another judge, Carl Nichols, declined to set a firm trial date for three January 6 defendants.
Nichols set a tentative trial date for April after asking prosecutors if they expected the trial to continue after Trump’s inauguration. Prosecutors could not confirm their expectations.
“As soon as the prosecutor asked for a trial date, Judge Nichols confronted her on whether she could assure the court that this matter would be moving forward to trial once the new administration takes office. Of course, the prosecutor could make no such assurances,” said attorney Marina Medvin.
Other judges have not delayed January 6 defendants’ trials, instead saying pardons are merely “speculative.”
