Trump Floats 'Payback' for J6 Rioters
2021 storming of the United States Capitol. Photo by thor Tyler Merbler under CC BY 2.0.
What started as a controversial pardon has now sparked a firestorm: President Donald Trump is openly floating the idea of compensating the Jan. 6 rioters financially. In a recently aired interview, MSN reported Trump called them "patriots," praised their cause, and said "talk" is underway inside his administration to pay them back for lost jobs and wages.
But what exactly is being proposed? And who's paying for it?
Trump: January 6ers Are Patriots
Axios reported that speaking to Newsmax's Greg Kelly, President Trump revealed that discussions are ongoing about a potential compensation fund for individuals convicted or charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
In a statement reported by Politico, Trump said of compensating the Jan. 6 rioters saying, "A lot of the people that are in the government now talk about it because a lot of the people in government really like that group of people."
According to MSN, he also stated, "They're patriots as far as I'm concerned."
Trump also spoke about Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran and prominent MAGA supporter who was shot and killed by Capitol Police during the riot. Politico quoted the President as saying, "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. And a man did something to her that was unthinkable when he shot her."
Trump floated the idea of bringing charges against the officer in question, U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd.
Who Gets the Money? And Who Pays?
So far, no formal plan for a Jan. 6 compensation fund has been announced, and a framework for who would actually receive the compensation has not been established. According to the President, it would support those rioters who suffered from job losses or loss of income due to their criminal cases.
In a statement reported by Axios, Trump said, "They were treated very unfairly."
It remains unclear who would pay for the fund and whether it would be the taxpayer. However, Trump's desire for reparations for the rioters mirrors those of supporters of the rioters, including Ed Martin, the federal prosecutor Trump appointed to oversee cases in D.C., who has advocated for this kind of financial relief for years.
How Will the Public Respond?
Trump's latest statement comes just two months after Trump's sweeping clemency order, issued on his first day back in the Oval Office, which pardoned over 1,500 defendants charged in connection with the Capitol attack. The crimes ranged from trespassing to assaulting law enforcement and disrupting Congress, causing about $1.5 million in damages and up to nine deaths either during or after the attack; however, it's reportedly not clear whether or not all nine deaths were a direct result of the riot, according to NY1.
Trump's goal to compensate the Jan. 6 rioters might face public headwinds. A Washington Post/Ipsos survey found that 83% of Americans oppose Trump's Jan. 6 pardons, with a majority also rejecting compensation proposals, as reported by The Hill.
Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers have been quick to criticize the notion of reparations for the rioters. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) posted strong criticism on his X account posting:
Whether a compensation fund materializes or fizzles out as political theater, one thing is clear: the battle over the legacy of Jan. 6 is far from over.
References: Now Trump Is Talking About Handing Cash to Jan. 6 Rioters | Trump floats possibility of compensation for Jan. 6 rioters | Trump says government is talking about compensation fund for Jan. 6 rioters | Trump Has a Wild "Compensation" Plan for January 6 Rioters | Trump says compensation fund being discussed for pardoned Jan. 6 rioters | 83 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's Jan. 6 pardons: Poll
