Representative Mike Turner, a Republican from Ohio, voiced his disagreement with former President Donald Trump’s view of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot participants. He expressed his trust in the United States judicial system.
Turner shared his thoughts during an interview with Martha Raddatz on ABC’s “This Week.” He clarified, “I don’t see them as hostages. I have faith in our judicial system. And as you’ve reported, Martha, some of these cases have been reversed. Even the legal foundation for many of these cases has been challenged and overturned.”
He emphasized that the legal proceedings are ongoing. Turner also noted that the president has strong personal opinions on the matter.
Trump recently stated that his first action, if re-elected, would be to pardon the incarcerated individuals from the January 6 riot, whom he referred to as “hostages.” He has previously shown sympathy for those involved in the Capitol attack, labeling them as “hostages.”
Trump outlined his priorities on Truth Social, saying, “My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!”
He also made an appearance at a fundraiser for the defendants of January 6 last year.
While Turner, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, does not agree with labeling the defendants as hostages, he stated that Trump did not incite the Capitol attack. Turner mentioned that there have been controversies regarding the prosecution of these cases, with some even being overturned.
Turner acknowledged that Trump likely has strong feelings towards those who have been jailed or imprisoned due to their involvement in the events of January 6.
The Justice Department reports that over 1,358 individuals have been charged across nearly every state for their roles in the Capitol attacks. About 497 of them have received jail sentences, as per the Justice Department’s records.