Nearly 500 people have been sentenced to incarceration over the Jan. 6 riot, and prosecutors have secured more than 950 convictions.
Former President Donald Trump said Monday that one of his first acts as president if he wins in November would be to “free” those charged and convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
It appeared to be the first time that he has definitively referred to releasing the Jan. 6 defendants as a Day One priority.
A spokesperson for President Joe Biden’s campaign, Sarafina Chitika, said in a statement in response to Trump’s comments that the former president “has shown he’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to power — including excusing and encouraging political violence.”
If you are curious why Trump has any support at all, note that his statement fits in a tweet, while the Biden administration response took paragraphs. Like it or not, he knows how to hold his supporters’ attention, and have them believe what he wants them to believe.
The only thing that fits in 140 characters is rage bait that reinforces existing beliefs and snide dismissals of other people’s opinions.
But it’s been 280 for so long now, that’s so much space
That’s like twice the rage bait
To be fair, populism and lies are a hell of a drug.