Trump Pardons Jan. 6 Capitol Rioter in Gun Crime Case, Releases him Today/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump has pardoned a Jan. 6 rioter imprisoned for an unrelated firearm conviction. Daniel Wilson of Kentucky was released after serving part of a five-year sentence. Trump’s action highlights his continued use of clemency powers to support Capitol riot defendants.
Trump Pardon Over Gun Charges – Quick Look
- Who Was Pardoned: Daniel Edwin Wilson of Louisville, Kentucky
- Original Charges: Illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon
- Riot Connection: Investigated for January 6, weapons found during search
- Sentence: Five years in prison, due to end in 2028
- Pardon Justification: White House said search “should never have happened”
- DOJ Reaction: Initially argued pardon didn’t apply, later reversed stance
- Judge’s Response: Criticized DOJ for shifting legal position
- Riot Activity: Ties to Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, sought to stop certification
- Controversy: Raises legal and constitutional questions over scope of presidential pardon
- Broader Trend: Part of Trump’s ongoing clemency for Jan. 6 participants
Trump Pardons Jan. 6 Capitol Rioter in Gun Crime Case, Releasing him Today
Deep Look
President Donald Trump has issued a second pardon to Daniel Edwin Wilson, a January 6 defendant who remained incarcerated due to a separate federal conviction for illegal firearm possession. The controversial decision effectively releases Wilson from a five-year sentence stemming from charges unrelated to his Capitol riot participation but uncovered during the investigation.
Wilson, a resident of Louisville, Kentucky, had already received clemency for his involvement in the Capitol breach. However, authorities discovered six firearms and nearly 4,800 rounds of ammunition during a subsequent search of his home. As a convicted felon, Wilson was prohibited from owning firearms, and he was later sentenced in 2024 for gun offenses and conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement.
The case sparked a broader legal debate regarding the scope of Trump’s mass pardons issued on his first day back in office. The Department of Justice initially contended that those pardons applied solely to riot-related conduct. However, officials eventually reversed their stance, citing new clarification on the president’s intent. Trump’s legal team argued that since the search was conducted as part of a riot-related probe, any resulting charges were tied to January 6 and therefore subject to the pardon.
A White House official said the decision was made because the firearms charge “stemmed directly from January 6” and that the search “should have never happened.” Wilson was released from prison Friday evening following the announcement.
Wilson’s attorney, George Pallas, welcomed the pardon, calling it an act of justice. “Mr. Wilson can now reunite with his family and begin rebuilding his life,” Pallas said.
Wilson’s case drew attention due to the severity of the charges and the alleged ideology behind his actions. According to prosecutors, Wilson had been actively planning his participation in the Capitol riot for weeks. He reportedly communicated with members of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group and those affiliated with the Three Percenters, a loosely organized anti-government extremist movement. Authorities stated that Wilson’s objective was to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power following Trump’s 2020 election loss.
Messages recovered from Wilson’s phone portrayed him as willing to go to extreme lengths for his cause.
In one message, sent just days after the 2020 election, Wilson wrote, “I’m willing to do whatever. Done made up my mind. I understand the tip of the spear will not be easy. I’m willing to sacrifice myself if necessary. Whether it means prison or death.”
Despite such rhetoric, Wilson expressed regret at his sentencing hearing. “I got involved with good intentions,” he said, claiming he had not intended to contribute to violence or insurrection.
Judge Dabney Friedrich, who was appointed by Trump, had previously questioned the Justice Department’s decision to alter its legal interpretation midway through the case. She described the situation as “extraordinary” and expressed concern that prosecutors had argued the president’s pardons extended to unrelated criminal contraband like illegal weapons.
Wilson’s release continues Trump’s broader trend of using presidential clemency to support January 6 defendants. While many cases have focused on trespassing or assault, Wilson’s gun charges represent a gray area that has tested the limits of constitutional pardon powers and raised questions about the intersection between criminal evidence and political motives.
The pardon also highlights Trump’s strategy of framing post-election unrest as patriotic rather than criminal. The administration has maintained that many of the rioters were unfairly targeted and that federal overreach played a role in the prosecution of Trump supporters.
Wilson’s clemency marks another milestone in Trump’s ongoing efforts to rewrite the narrative of January 6, drawing both praise from his base and criticism from legal scholars and civil rights advocates.
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