Donald Trump has been sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts as the 47th president of the United States, marking a political comeback after being convicted of felonies.
• In his inauguration address, Trump vowed that “the golden age of America begins right now.” He listed his priorities — on trade, immigration and national security — while criticizing President Joe Biden, who sat nearby, and declaring “America’s decline is over.” He also recalled the assassination attempt last year that nearly claimed his life and said he was “saved by God to Make America Great Again.” Read our fact check from his address.
• Trump is expected to soon issue a series of executive actions, including declaring a national emergency on the US-Mexico border, pulling the US out of the Paris climate deal and doubling down on fossil fuel initiatives.
• Hours before the change in US leadership, President Joe Biden issued pardons for Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci and members of Congress who served on the committee investigating January 6. He also issued preemptive pardons for his brothers, his sister and their spouses.
President Donald Trump is planning to pardon people convicted of nonviolent offenses related to the January 6 US Capitol attack and to commute the sentences of others convicted of more serious offenses, according to multiple sources familiar with the plan.
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The Justice Department also is expected to move in court to dismiss cases that have not yet gone to trial, according to a transition official.
Trump has not yet signed an executive order but is expected to do so today.
Trump has long pledged to pardon at least some of his supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, disrupting the peaceful transfer of power.
After the attack, the Justice Department and FBI launched a nationwide manhunt to identify and arrest rioters, which turned into the biggest criminal probe in US history. Prosecutors charged more than 1,580 people and have secured about 1,270 convictions so far, with about 300 pending cases.
About 55% of January 6 prosecutions are misdemeanor cases, with charges like disorderly conduct or trespassing, according to Justice Department data. For those convicted, the vast majority were sentenced to probation or a few months in prison and were already released.
What would pardons do: Pardons don’t erase a defendant’s criminal record, and don’t overturn a conviction. Any January 6 rioters who pleaded guilty or were found guilty at trial are still convicted criminals. But a pardon forgives the offense and restores the recipient’s civil rights, like gun ownership or voting rights. For convicted rioters on probation, a pardon will end their probation early. Any rioters who got a pardon and are currently in prison will be set free.
By the numbers: A couple hundred rioters are currently incarcerated, according to the latest Justice Department estimates. The department says 1,100 convicted rioters have already been sentenced, and about 700 of them have either already finished their prison term or were only sentenced to probation.
– CNN