MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US: Trump to pardon Capitol Hill rioters if elected in 2024

”It's a disgrace what they've done to them,” Trump said about those convicted for the assault on Capitol Hill

Former US President Donald Trump promised to pardon those who attacked Capitol Hill and have been convicted of “conspiracy” and “sedition” for their violent attempt to prevent the Senate from ratifying Joseph Biden's victory in the elections.

 Trump claimed that those who stormed Capitol Hill in Washington DC on Jan. 6, 2021, were being treated “unconstitutionally” and “very unfairly,” and warned that he will get to “the bottom of it.” A total of 535 people were indicted for those events.

In a video released during a fundraiser hosted by the Patriot Freedom Project, a group helping the families of those involved in the riot, Trump accused the Biden administration of using the Justice Department as a political weapon.

The video is one of the few appearances Trump has made since launching his third presidential bid last month. He added that he will continue to embrace extremist groups from which Republicans have sought to distance themselves. Last month, Trump reportedly dined at his Mar-a-lago residence with well-known white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and rapper Kanye West, who was just blocked on Twitter for supporting Hitler.

Trump has admitted that he was helping the riot groups financially with their legal costs and promised to pardon them if he is once again elected. “I am financially supporting people that are incredible and they were in my office actually two days ago,” he said of the Capitol rioters. “It's very much on my mind. It's a disgrace what they've done to them.”

”People have been treated unconstitutionally, in my opinion, and very, very unfairly, and we're going to get to the bottom of it,“ Trump said. ”It's the weaponization of the Department of Justice, and we can't let this happen in our country,“ he added.

The former president's appearance in support of the Capitol stormers came just days after the leaders of the far-right paramilitary group Oath Keepers Stewart Rhodes and Kelly Meggs were found guilty of conspiracy and sedition.

Trump's engagement with the violent Capitol Hill crowd has also sparked an uproar among some Republican Party politicians who find the tycoon accountable for their poor performances in the recent mid-term elections.

In a New York court, Trump is also facing tax evasion charges. Manhattan US Attorney Joshua Steinglass said Trump ”knew exactly what was going on” regarding maneuvers to dodge taxes on perks paid by his company, while the defense claimed Trump himself was unaware of those practices.