Former President Donald Trump vowed to release political prisoners on Jan. 6 as one of his first acts if he were to be re-elected.
Referring to the prisoners as “hostages,” Trump said securing their freedom will be one of his administration’s top priorities.
“My first acts as your next President will be to close the border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL and free the wrongfully imprisoned January 6th hostages!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Monday.
The post appears to be the first time Trump has said he will make freeing prisoners a day one priority. He had previously promised to forgive most of them.
The Biden campaign blew up his plan, of course.
A spokeswoman for President Joe Biden’s campaign, Sarafina Chitika, said in a statement to NBC News in response to Trump’s comments that the former president “has demonstrated that he will do whatever it takes to stay in power, including an apology and encouragement of political violence. “
“The American people have not forgotten the violent attack on our Capitol on January 6th: they know that Trump is too dangerous to be allowed anywhere near the Oval Office again, and they will rally to protect our democracy and keep Trump out of the picture. White House this November,” Chitika said.
NBC News notes, “Nearly 500 people have been sentenced to prison for the January 6, 2021, riot and prosecutors have obtained more than 950 convictions, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Washington, D.C. More than 1,350 people are been accused of connection to the attack.”