WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon most of the Jan. 6 defendants on his first day in office brought excitement and hope to those close to the detained.
The White House announced the pardons shortly after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, more than four years after the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach and after the pardoned individuals spent years dealing with the legal system. His pardon affected about 1,500 people, and he commuted the sentences of others.
