‘I Am Considered a National Hero’: Pardoned Jan. 6 Defendants Rewrite History at CPAC

The first major conservative gathering since President Donald Trump’s second inauguration quickly became a stage for a symbolic homecoming: pardoned January 6 rioters, some of whom were convicted of assaulting law enforcement while storming the U.S. Capitol four years ago, were now celebrated as heroes among the party’s loyal base.

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“The J6ers are here at CPAC!” said former Trump strategist Steve Bannon on Thursday, drawing raucous cheers at the Conservative Political Action Conference. While the annual gathering has a history of promoting Trump’s efforts to falsely portray all those who participated in the deadly riot as victims of entrapment or unfair prosecution, this year’s CPAC has embraced that sentiment more strongly than ever in the wake of Trump granting all of  the J6 rioters clemency on his first day back in office.

At a panel discussion on Friday called “The J6 sham,” conservative commentator Julie Kelly thanked Trump for the pardons and tapped into a growing sense of solidarity among those who stormed the Capitol and their supporters. “Now it’s cool,” she said. “Everyone’s like, free the J6ers! It’s the cause of the day, but it wasn’t back then.”

The sentiment at the National Harbor in Maryland over the four-day gathering, which featured speeches from Vice President J.D. Vance and Trump ally Elon Musk, is at odds with the rest of the country. A new Washington Post-Ipsos poll found that more than 80% of Americans oppose pardons for those convicted of violent crimes, and a little over half disagree with pardons for nonviolent offenders. Yet, at CPAC, the atmosphere was one of triumph. Several pardoned rioters were interviewed on Bannon’s “War Room” show in the CPAC exhibition complex. For many of them, this year’s CPAC represented a moment of vindication. “We became celebrities here. It’s weird,” said Brian Mock, who was convicted of six felonies and five misdemeanors, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers. Some hinted that they intended to pursue financial compensation for their time in prison.

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, and other pardoned rioters wandered the event’s halls, stopping to chat with attendees and pose for selfies. On Friday afternoon, they gathered on the east side of the Capitol grounds for a press conference, where the mood appeared jovial as the pardoned rioters celebrated their clemency and chanted “USA.” “Get over it,” said Joe Biggs, a former leader of the Proud Boys, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 17 years in prison. “We’re here.” (Tarrio was arrested after the press conference for simple assault against a counter protestor, the U.S. Capitol Police said.)

The Jan. 6 celebration surrounding CPAC was not without its controversies, however. Some pardoned rioters claimed they were denied entry to the event, sparking outrage on social media. Richard Barnett, who became infamous for putting his feet on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk during the riot, said he was among those initially turned away, despite having been granted a pardon. “I am considered a national hero,” Barnett said in a video he posted to social media. “I’m a J6er and I have an unlimited, unconditional presidential pardon from President Trump… I went when he called me, I stood up. I spent all this time in prison for my country.”

“I don’t understand why CPAC would do this to me,” he added. Rhodes was also initially denied entry, which led to a flurry of online complaints from supporters, calling out what they perceived as a betrayal. CPAC’s response came quickly. In a statement on X Thursday morning, CPAC denied that the conference had rejected individuals based on their involvement in the Jan. 6 attack. “It is untrue that we are not allowing people to come to CPAC because of their involvement with J6,” the statement read. “In fact, CPAC has been a constant supporter of this persecuted community and we support wholeheartedly President Trump’s pardons of the J6 victims.” By the afternoon, the pardoned rioters were granted access, and the celebration continued.

But even as the J6ers basked in their newfound celebrity status, the shadow of their actions continues to loom over the broader political discourse. While Trump frequently said on the campaign trail that he would pardon some of those charged in relation to the Capitol riot, many of his allies predicted he would stop short of those charged with or convicted of violent felony crimes, such as assaulting police officers, using a deadly weapon, participating in a riot and destroying government property. Trump ultimately issued a sweeping pardon that covered nearly 1,600 individuals convicted in connection with the January 6 attack, drawing pushback from law enforcement officials and even some Republicans. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a top Trump ally in the Senate, said it was a “mistake” for Trump to pardon the sentences of “people who went into the Capitol and beat up a police officer violently.” During his confirmation hearing to be FBI Director last month, Kash Patel said he did not agree with Trump’s decision to commute the sentences “of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement.”

While the J6ers found their moment in the spotlight, the broader Republican Party may be forced to grapple with its evolving identity. Indeed, many at CPAC treated the pardons as a righting of a wrong, echoing the rhetoric of Trump loyalists like Bannon, who hailed the pardons as a triumph over a “deep state” that had unjustly targeted conservatives. “It took tremendous courage for President Trump to do that,” Bannon said.

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