On the evening of the sixth of January of this year, the nation watched in horror as the US capitol was stormed in a mass riot of unpredictable proportions. Hundreds of armed Trump Supporters broke into the Capitol, smashing windows, causing chaos and worldwide panic. Many believe President Trump incited the riot by continuing to claim that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 election, even though there continues to be no evidence whatsoever to support this outrageous claim. After tensions increased and the rioters began to break into the capitol, President Trump issued a half-hearted statement saying that the rioters were quality people, but it was time they went home. Unsurprisingly, the statement he issued had little to no impact on the angry mob. Four rioters were left dead as a result of the riot with one being shot in the chest by capitol guards and three dying from unrelated medical emergencies. Multiple police officers and capital guards were left injured, with one being rushed to a hospital. 

The motive behind the groups’ decision to storm the capitol remains mainly unknown, however, the US government has continued to investigate and arrest those who stormed the Capitol building. In their research, the FBI unveiled multiple plots to steal sensitive information. It was originally thought that a few rioters had broken into the capitol with the intent to assassinate a select few members of Congress, however, this statement made by the US government has been revoked and is no longer considered to be the rioters’ intent. Riley June Williams was turned in to the government for storming the capitol by one of her former romantic partners. Further digging into her intentions revealed that she had planned to steal a laptop from the capitol and sell the data on the computer to a Russian buyer. While she succeeded in stealing a laptop from Nancy Pelosi, the deal fell through for unknown reasons. It was later revealed that the laptop stolen was simply used for presentation purposes and contained no useful information. 

In the wake of the FBI’s crackdown on those who stormed the capitol, many rioters have claimed that they deserve a pardon from President Trump. The rioters seeking pardons claim that they didn’t do anything wrong and that they were invited into the capitol by President Trump. Jenna Ryan, who has been arrested for storming the capitol said in an interview with CBS News, stated “I would like a pardon from the president of the United States… I think that we all deserve a pardon. I’m facing a prison sentence. I do not think that I do not deserve that.” Another rioter seeking a pardon from the President is Adam Newbold, a retired U.S Navy SEAL. In an interview with ABC News, Newbold stated “I would like to express to you just a cry for clemency, as you understand that my life now has been absolutely turned upside-down.” With President Trump’s time in office is almost up with Joe Biden being sworn in on the 20th, it seems incredibly unlikely that the rioters will receive a presidential pardon before then, especially with the political repercussions that pardoning the rioters would unleash on President Trump.