President Donald Trump signs pardons for January 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House on Inauguration Day in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2025. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)
Additionally, he commuted the sentences of six people on Monday, including the leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys extremist groups.
Schumer echoed sentiments former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., shared about the pardons. Pelosi characterized the pardons as "shameful" and said to remember the "courage" of law enforcement "heroes" who "ensured that democracy survived."
"The President's actions are an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the Constitution," Pelosi, who didn’t attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, said in a statement posted to X.
DOJ SEEKS TO BLOCK JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS FROM ATTENDING TRUMP INAUGURATION
President Donald Trump holds up an executive orders after signing it at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Trump announced plans to issue the pardon on Monday, labeling those charged with crimes for their involvement storming the Capitol as "hostages."
"Tonight I'm going to be signing on the J6 hostages, pardons to get them out," Trump said at an inaugural parade at Capital One Arena. "I'm going to the Oval Office, and we'll be signing pardons for a lot of people."
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Trump signed a series of executive orders on Inauguration Day, along with the pardons. Other directives included withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement that the U.S. initially entered under former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015, but that Trump withdrew from during his first term.
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/schumer-blasts-trumps-j6-pardons-un-american