President Trump is suggesting that his administration might consider reparations for rioters who were prosecuted for their role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, some of whom spent years in jail.
Speaking with Newsmax’s Greg Kelly, Mr. Trump emphasized his admiration for those involved, referring to them to as “patriots.”
“A lot of the people in government now really like that group,” Mr. Trump said during the interview, adding, “They’re patriots as far as I’m concerned.”
The president also said he is a “big fan” of Ashli Babbitt, the woman who was shot dead by a Capitol police officer as she tried to climb through a broken window into the House Speaker’s Lobby during the attacks.
“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,” Mr. Trump said. “And a man did something to her that was unthinkable when he shot her, and I think it’s a disgrace. I’m going to look into that,” he said.
This isn’t the first time Mr. Trump has championed the January 6 crowd. On his first day in office as part of his 2024 presidential campaign, Mr. Trump pardoned some 1,500 people convicted in relation to the Capitol riot.
Calls for reparations for convicted rioters have been growing among Mr. Trump’s supporters. Ed Martin, whom Mr. Trump appointed as the top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., has also voiced his support for compensating those involved.
On Ms. Babbitt, Mr. Trump said he may intervene in the family’s ongoing legal battle with the government. Her family filed a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit last year, accusing the government of unjustly killing her.
The Department of Justice previously ruled that the shooting by officer Michael Byrd was lawful and declined to file criminal charges. Mr. Trump, however, has labeled the incident a “disgrace” and vowed to investigate it further if given the chance.
“I’m going to look into that,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Kelly, later adding that Mr. Byrd — now promoted to Captain — may also be “looked into.”