Trump says to pardon Capitol rioters once in office

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that he will pardon his supporters involved in the 2021 Capitol attack starting on his first day in office.

In an interview with NBC News' "Meet the Press," Trump described those incarcerated as "living in hell," arguing that they have been put through a "very nasty system."

"I'm going to be acting very quickly. First day," Trump said, warning that some members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack "should go to jail."

After the 2020 U.S. presidential election, then-President Trump refused to concede to his opponent Joe Biden and claimed that there was widespread election fraud. On Jan. 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters broke into the Capitol building and interrupted the certifying process of the 2020 presidential election, prompting hundreds of lawmakers to evacuate in panic.

The deadly attack, which led to five deaths and hundreds of police officers injured, is a "landmark stain" on American democracy, according to a CNN report published in June 2021.

At least 1,572 individuals have been charged in connection with the attack, and more than 1,251 have either been convicted or pleaded guilty, making it one of the biggest criminal investigations in American history. Among them, at least 645 have been sentenced to prison terms, and about 250 people are in custody.