Ramaswamy to pardon Trump, Jan 6 insurrectionists if elected US President

Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican US presidential hopeful,  announced he would pardon all peaceful January 6 insurrectionists if he is elected in the 2024 US Presidential elections.

The 38-year-old candidate has gained notoriety after making numerous inflammatory statements during his campaign.

Ramaswamy called the prosecution of non-violent insurrectionists "political prosecution" during a Republican primary debate last month.

“America now has a two-tiered justice system: Antifa and BLM rioters roam free while peaceful January 6 protesters are imprisoned without bail. Biden’s ‘Department of Injustice’ has executed over 1,000 arrests for nonviolent offenses related to January 6, casting a dark shadow over Lady Justice and the foundational principles of our legal system,” he said.

“To unify this country, I commit as president to pardon all Americans who were targets of politicized federal prosecutions and those denied due process. This includes all peaceful, nonviolent January 6 protesters who were denied their constitutional due process rights," Ramaswamy said on Wednesday.

January 6 Capitol riots

The January 6 Capitol riots saw more than 2,000 people enter the US Capitol as legislators attempted to certify the 2020 election results. 

The crowd stormed the capitol after a speech from Trump in which he claimed that the election results were fraudulent and called on then Vice-President Mike Pence to overturn the result.

The ensuing riot led to the largest police investigation in US history.

Ramaswamy has made several inflammatory remarks during the US Republican primaries, including remarks on US funding for Israel and whether or not Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, as well as speaking with several controversial right-wing media figures deemed to be anti-semitic.