Donald Trump has promised to release individuals arrested for participating in the Capitol attack if he is reelected, referring to them as “hostages.”
The attack, which occurred on January 6, 2021, was fueled by false claims of voter fraud and led to the storming of the US Capitol as Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s victory.
Since then, over 1,300 individuals have been charged in connection with the attack, with approximately 500 already serving prison sentences.
Trump made these statements on his Truth Social website, where he also vowed to close the border with Mexico as one of his first actions if reelected, though he did not provide further details.
“My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!” he wrote late Monday.
Trump has made previous comments about his hypothetical first day in office, vowing during a televised town hall in December not to act as a dictator except “other than day one.”
Nor is it the first time Trump has called his imprisoned supporters “hostages” or suggested they should be freed.
In January, he implored President Biden to “release the J6 hostages, Joe” during a campaign rally in Iowa.
