US vice president-elect says ‘peaceful’ Jan. 6 protesters should be pardoned

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"Peaceful" protesters should be pardoned, but those who committed violence should not, US Vice President-elect JD Vance has said, referring to the attack on the US Capitol during a protest against election results on Jan. 6, 2021.

“If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned,” Vance told Fox News Sunday.

“If you protested peacefully on Jan. 6 and you’ve had (Attorney General) Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned,” he said.

President-elect Donald Trump pledged to make immediate and significant changes after taking office on Jan. 20, including pardons for those convicted in the attack on the US Capitol.

In December, Trump told NBC News, “I’m going to be acting very quickly. First day,” referring to those convicted in the attack.

“The president saying he'll look at each case (and me saying the same) is not some walkback. I assure you, we care about people unjustly locked up. Yes, that includes people provoked and it includes people who got a garbage trial,” JD Vance explained in his comments on X.

On Jan. 6, 2021, far-right groups and Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as lawmakers gathered to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. The attack drew widespread condemnation.

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“If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned,” Vance told Fox News Sunday.

“If you protested peacefully on Jan. 6 and you’ve had (Attorney General) Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned,” he said.

President-elect Donald Trump pledged to make immediate and significant changes after taking office on Jan. 20, including pardons for those convicted in the attack on the US Capitol.

In December, Trump told NBC News, “I’m going to be acting very quickly. First day,” referring to those convicted in the attack.

On Jan. 6, 2021, far-right groups and Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as lawmakers gathered to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. The attack drew widespread condemnation.