US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order, hours after taking oath and reclaiming the presidency, to pardon nearly 1,600 members of the mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The attack marked an unprecedented episode in the history of the modern USA.
Four people died during the attack.
The mob, mostly Trump supporters, had stormed into the Capitol on January 6, in an unsuccessful attempt by them to reverse his defeat to Joe Biden.
During the siege of the Capitol that day, over 140 police officers were assaulted—including over 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police and over 60 from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department—the Capitol was damaged, government property was destroyed, and other government property was stolen, US Justice Department said in a statement.
“Current estimates are that losses arising from the Capitol siege exceed $2.8 million. In total, approximately 1,583 individuals have been charged criminally in federal court,” the statement said.
Donald Trump became only the second President in US history, after Grover Cleveland in 1893, to return to power after being voted out of the White House.
Trump made history by replacing Joe Biden as the oldest President of the United States.
Trump’s return to the Oval Office has been quite a dramatic one that saw him defy two assassination attempts and a criminal conviction to win the historic election, including him registering a win in every single swing state in the country.
His Republican party has returned to power with a majority in both the House of Representatives, as well as the Senate, giving President Trump massive power to push through any agendas he feels necessary.
