Detainees are “hostages”
Trump wants to pardon Capitol stormers after victory
January 7, 2024, 5:43 a.m
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On the third anniversary of the storming of the Capitol, Trump speaks for two hours in Iowa. The Republican primaries will begin here in a few days. The ex-president already sees himself as the election winner – “for the third time,” he claims.
A few days before the start of the presidential primaries, former US President Donald Trump appeared confident of victory during a campaign appearance. He will “win for the third time” in the November presidential election, Trump said in a two-hour speech to supporters in Newton, Iowa – a reference to his widely debunked claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him through massive voter fraud.
Trump spoke on the third anniversary of the attack on the Capitol in Washington: On January 6, 2021, radical supporters of the then incumbent president attacked the headquarters of the US Congress after he called on them to march there and “devil no matter what” to fight. In his extensive speech in Iowa, Trump did not directly address the events at that time. But the 77-year-old Republican called people imprisoned for their involvement “hostages” and promised to pardon “many” of them if he wins the presidential election.
Trump accused current Democratic President Joe Biden of being responsible for economic decline and of failing to prevent the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “I definitely would have stopped Putin,” Trump said. If Biden is re-elected, there is a risk of World War III, Trump said, adding: “This is our last chance to save America.”
Biden is almost certain as the candidate
Trump was indicted twice by the federal judiciary and in the state of Georgia for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The trials could begin in the coming months and thus in the middle of the election campaign. Trump also faces additional charges.
His legal entanglements have so far not harmed him in the presidential race: Trump is the overwhelming favorite in the race for the Republican nomination. He leads the polls by a large margin over his six internal party rivals. The Republican primary begins on January 15th in Iowa.
The primary election winner will face incumbent Joe Biden in the presidential election on November 5th. Biden’s Democrats also have primaries, but these are just a formality. Since the 81-year-old has no serious competition, he is already almost certain as a presidential candidate. Biden attacked Trump in sharp words on Friday, accusing him, among other things, of using Nazi rhetoric and posing a threat to US democracy.