President Trump pardoned nearly all Jan. 6 defendants on Monday, making good on a long-standing campaign promise just hours into his second presidency.

He briefly said Monday night that he granted roughly 1,500 “full, complete and unconditional pardons” for rioters charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. There have been 1,583 total defendants charged.

“What they've done to these people is outrageous,” Trump said while signing various orders from the Oval Office.

The pardons clear the way for potentially hundreds of his supporters to be released from prison in coming days, some of whom were sentenced to years in prison for violently attacking law enforcement that day.

They came just hours after former President Biden in the eleventh hour of his presidency issued preemptive pardons for members and staff of the House........

© The Hill