Former President Donald Trump said he would strongly consider pardons for those charged in connection with the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021 if he is elected again.
He made the remarks while in an interview with conservative radio host Wendy Bell on Thursday.
Trump has not yet announced if he will run for president again, but he has teased the idea several times.
While at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas in August, Trump was asked by Fox News Digital when Republicans could expect a formal announcement.
“It’s certainly not a very long period, the time is coming,” he said. “I think people are going to be very happy, our country has never been in a position like this, we’ve lost everything.”
“We’ll be making an announcement in the not too distant future,” he later added.
Trump told Bell “I met with and I’m financially supporting people that are incredible,” referring to people charged after the riot.
“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. What they’ve done to these people, it’s disgraceful,” he continued.
“And mostly, it’s .. they’re fireman, they’re policemen, they’re people in the military,” Trump said of those present at the Capitol.
Trump then told Bell he would “look very favorably” about “full pardons” if elected again.
“I mean full pardons with an apology to many,” he added.
On Thursday, a judge sentenced former NYPD Officer Thomas Webster to ten years in prison after he was caught on camera attacking a cop with a flagpole.
That was the longest prison term yet in connection with the case.
“You know this radical left system, these people are sick. There’s something wrong with them. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it. They’re sick. And they’re cold,” Trump said of federal prosecutors.
“They’re the most coldhearted people, they don’t care about families, they don’t care about anything,” he continued.
When asked by Bell if he would announce his run on the show, the former president said “Well the time is coming closer and I think you’re gonna be really happy.”
“You have campaign finance laws that [don’t] allow you to … it’s crazy. It’s not smart. If you say it, everything changes and you have reporting and you have all things. But I will be doing something and I think you’re going to be happy,” he added.
His comments came the same day that President Joe Biden gave his prime-time speech about protecting democracy
