March 27, 2025
First Pardons, Now Reparations? Trump Floats Idea Of Compensation For Jan. 6 Rioters
The call for reparations for Jan. 6 rioters is a switch from his thoughts on reparations for slavery, saying “I don’t see it happening.”
During an interview on Newsmax, President Donald Trump presented an idea of potential compensation for his “supporters” who stormed the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, Politico reports.
The President discussed what he did to take “care” of the ones identified as attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss, issuing controversial pardons at the beginning of 2025. To keep things going, he alleges conversations are floating around about dishing out compensation to them, telling host Greg Kelly, “A lot of the people in government really like that group of people.”
Pardoning his supporters was one of the first executive orders Trump signed after being sworn in as the 47th President, giving clemency to close to 1,500 rioters, some of whom were convicted of assaulting police, carrying firearms, and destroying property. Trump also floated the idea of looking into taking action against the officer who killed Ashli Babbitt, the rioter who was shot and killed while attempting to climb into a window of the Speaker’s Lobby. “Ashli Babbitt was a really good person who was a big MAGA fan, Trump fan. And she was innocently standing there, they even say trying to sort of hold back the crowd,” Trump said.
“And a man did something to her that was unthinkable when he shot her.”
U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd — who is Black — was investigated by the Justice Department for the shooting and was cleared of any wrongdoing.
The call for reparations is a switch from his thoughts on reparations for slavery, an ongoing discussion in certain states and by members of Congress. Back in 2019, according to USA Today, Trump labeled the idea of the federal government giving reparations to the descendants of enslaved people as “unusual” and “interesting” but said, “I don’t see it happening.”
A poll from the Washington Post-Ipsos poll released in February 2025 revealed more than 8 out of 10 Americans are not a fan of Trump pardoning “those who were convicted of violent crimes.” As much as 83% of Americans don’t agree, they do feel a way about Trump pardoning violent criminals who attacked police and attacked their country’s Capitol, labeling it as “ not a good move.” People on social media have similar feelings, some calling Trump “despicable” and highlighting the idea of having money to give rioters but presenting ideas of cutting Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare.
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