Trump says he would pardon Jan. 6 protesters if he runs and wins

Former US President Donald Trump says if he runs for president and wins in 2024, he would pardon protesters charged with criminal offenses in connection with the January 6 brief occupation of the Capitol.

Speaking at a rally in Conroe, Texas, on Saturday, Trump said he would treat them "fairly" if he were reelected.

"Another thing we'll do, and so many people have been asking me about it, if I run and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly," Trump said to applause. "We will treat them fairly. And if it requires pardons we will give them pardons. Because they are being treated so unfairly."

On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters occupied the US Capitol while lawmakers were in the process of reviewing the certification of state electors which indicated Biden's victory. Some Trump supporters had hoped that this process could have resulted in some of the electors being disqualified, thus overturning the outcome of the presidential election.

It is claimed by some that the demonstrators were infiltrated and incited by provocateurs from US intelligence agencies, who orchestrated the “false flag operation” in order to get rid of Trump.

Some among the crowd clashed with police, and some made threats to beat up a number of Democratic lawmakers. Some also inflicted damage on parts of the Capitol building.

Trump, who believes that the election was rigged by the US establishment in favor of Biden, has said that the 2020 presidential election was “the greatest Election Hoax in history.”

For months, Trump has floated the idea of a 2024 rematch against President Joe Biden. But in recent weeks, he has signaled strongly that he may be more likely to run again than not.

Recent opinion polls have depicted a gloomy landscape for Democrats as they gear up for the 2022 midterm elections.

Do Americans believe their elections are legitimate?

A larger review of the recent Monmouth University poll and the American public

A recent USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found that Republicans maintain a clear lead on the congressional ballot over Democrats as Biden's approval rating plunges to a new low of 38 percent.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans, 64 percent, say they do not want Biden to run for a second term in 2024, including a troubling 28 percent of Democrats.

Biden has proven a disappointment for many who voted him into office last year, with 16 percent of those surveyed saying he has done a worse job as president than they expected. Overall, 46 percent of Americans hold that view.

More worrying for Biden, another new survey by the Emerson College has found that Trump would beat the incumbent by two points – 45 to 43 percent - if the election was held today.

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