US President Donald Trump said he would not completely rule out , including individuals accused of assaulting police officers.
Speaking to NBC News, Trump defended a proposed “anti-weaponization” fund and argued that many Jan. 6 defendants were unfairly targeted by prosecutors.
When asked whether people who attacked police officers during the Capitol riot should receive taxpayer-funded compensation, Trump said: “I wouldn’t be inclined to say so, but I have to see it,” NBC News reported.
Trump defends proposed anti-weaponization fund
According to NBC News, Trump strongly backed the nearly , which emerged from a settlement related to his lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.
“Well, look. If it was up to me, I’d pay them the kind of money that they deserve,” Trump was quoted as saying.
“People have been destroyed. Lives have been destroyed. Many suicides, think of it. People have committed suicide because a bunch of thugs went after them.”
Trump said he supported the idea of compensating people whom he believes were harmed by politically motivated investigations and prosecutions.
“I love the idea,” he said of the fund.
Fund’s future remains uncertain
The future of the fund remains unclear.
A federal judge on May 29 temporarily blocked the Trump administration from establishing the fund while a lawsuit challenging the initiative proceeds.
Meanwhile, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on June 2 that the administration was “not moving forward with the fund, period.”
However, when questioned by reporters the following day about the fund’s status, Trump appeared less certain.
“I’ll have to ask the lawyers. I don’t know,” he said.
Trump alleges government ‘weaponization’
Trump argued that many people had suffered severe personal consequences because of what he described as government “weaponization” under the administration of former President Joe Biden.
“So let me explain what the fund is,” Trump said.
“People have been hurt so badly by radical left lunatics that worked for the Biden administration and Sleepy Joe.”
Trump also referenced the federal investigation involving his Florida residence.
“They raided Mar-a-Lago and all the other things,” he said.
The president further claimed that some affected individuals lost jobs, families and financial stability.
“People have been badly hurt. They’ve committed suicide. They’ve lost their jobs. They’ve lost their families. They’ve lost their wives. They’ve lost everything,” told NBC News.
More than 1,600 people charged over Capitol attack
According to federal records cited by the news outlet, approximately 1,600 people were charged in connection with the Capitol attack.
More than 1,100 defendants had been sentenced before the Biden administration ended.
The January 6 attack occurred as Congress met to certify Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. Rioters breached the Capitol building, with some carrying items including stun guns, bear spray and flagpoles.
More than 140 law enforcement officers were injured during the violence.
Trump defends guilty pleas by defendants
also told NBC News that many Jan. 6 defendants pleaded guilty because they feared receiving lengthy prison sentences.
“They pled guilty because they were frightened,” he said.
“They went down. They were ushered into a building. Many of them were arrested without even going into the building.”
Trump argued that individual cases should be evaluated separately by those overseeing any future compensation program.
“The people were destroyed by dirty cops and by weaponization. Many of those people should be compensated,” he said.
Trump previously pardoned Jan. 6 participants
had pledged during his presidential campaign to grant clemency to many people involved in the Capitol riot.
On the first day of his second term, he issued pardons to roughly 1,500 individuals connected to the January 6 attack, including some convicted of assaulting police officers.
