Sen. Tom Cotton said Sunday that some people who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol should be pardoned.
ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl asked Mr. Cotton what he thought about former President Donald Trump calling those involved in the attack “hostages” and saying he would pardon them.
Mr. Cotton said “some of them probably deserve” to be pardoned, arguing that they’ve been held in “pre-trial detention longer than the sentences for the crimes with which they are charged.”
“Anyone who assaulted a police officer or damaged public property, that’s different,” the Arkansas Republican said on “This Week.”
When Mr. Karl pressed Mr. Cotton about whether he believes that those who were violent should be pardoned, the senator said “people who were involved in that riot, who assaulted police officers, or who defaced and damaged public property should face the legal consequences.”
Mr. Cotton said that Mr. Trump agrees with him.
“He does agree with that, Jon. What shouldn’t be used is every grandma who had a red MAGA hat that was within a country mile of the Capitol on January 6 shouldn’t be sitting in pre-trial detention for a longer time than the crimes for which they might face a sentence,” he said.
Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social last month that one of his first acts as president if he is re-elected in November would be to “free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned.”
He has said before that he would pardon them.
As of January 2024, Justice Department data shows that more than 1,200 defendants have been charged in connection to the Capitol attack, which was an attempt to stop Congress’ certification of the 2020 election results.
More than 450 have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees, including more than 120 who have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.