Who are Proud Boys, Oath Keepers? The groups pardoned by Trump for Jan 6 US Capitol attack

One of Donald Trump’s first acts as President of the United States was to issue pardons to 1,500 people convicted or charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

The President’s decision, made on Inauguration Day, sparked outrage among lawmakers who had been endangered during the violent assault, when thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a failed attempt to block the certification of his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

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The clemency covers high-profile cases, including those of Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, and Enrique Tarrio, former leader of the Proud Boys, who were convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to 18 and 22 years in prison, respectively.

Here’s all you need to know about them:

Who are the Oath Keepers?

The Oath Keepers, a pro-gun, anti-government organisation, was established in 2009 with a rally in Lexington, Massachusetts – the site of one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War.

Stewart Rhodes, the group’s founder, is a former US Army paratrooper who studied at Yale Law School and previously worked as an aide to libertarian Republican congressman Ron Paul of Texas.

James Lee Bright, an attorney who represented Rhodes, said, “We are deeply thankful for President Trump for his actions today.”

While Rhodes did not physically enter the US Capitol on January 6, he was convicted for conspiring to use force against Congress to halt the certification of the election results. He was also accused of stockpiling firearms at a hotel in Virginia, intending to transport them to Washington if needed.

At his sentencing, Rhodes showed no regret, pledging instead to “expose the criminality of this regime” from prison. He was sentenced to 18 years.

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The group’s name comes from the oath taken by police, military personnel, and other officials to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” according to a BBC report.

The Oath Keepers target recruitment efforts at individuals with military or law enforcement backgrounds, along with other frontline “first responders”.

What Oath Keepers did on January 6, 2021

Joe Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election on November 7, 2020, after days of vote-counting.

A federal indictment detailed how, in the months leading up to January 6, Rhodes and others spent thousands of dollars on weapons and tactical gear, planned the storage of firearms, and organised members into military-style units.

On January 6, 2021, several groups – along with hundreds of individuals unaffiliated with any particular organisation – gathered outside the Capitol following a rally held by Donald Trump nearby.

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In the aftermath of the violence, evidence emerged indicating prior planning and possible coordination between groups, BBC reported.

Who are the Proud Boys?

Enrique Tarrio, former chairman of the far-right Proud Boys, received a full pardon from Donald Trump. Tarrio had been convicted of several offences, including seditious conspiracy, for his involvement in planning the January 6 Capitol riot.

He was sentenced to 22 years in prison – the longest sentence for any January 6 defendant. Despite being a central figure in the planning, Tarrio was not in Washington, DC, on the day of the attack.

The Proud Boys was founded in 2016 by Canadian-British right-wing activist Gavin McInnes. The group is a far-right, anti-immigrant, all-male organisation known for its history of violent confrontations with left-wing opponents.

The group’s name originates from a song in the musical adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin. Proud Boys members often wear black and yellow Fred Perry polo shirts, paired with red “Make America Great Again” hats.

According to a BBC report, membership requires one to declare that the person is, “a Western chauvinist who refuses to apologise for creating the modern world.”

The group’s beliefs include Trump-style populism (“glorify the entrepreneur”, “close the border”), libertarian ideals (“give everyone a gun”, “end welfare”), and traditional gender views (“venerate the housewife”). Despite internal contradictions, members are unified by their disdain for left-wing politics and passionate support for Donald Trump.

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Trump pardons nearly all charged in the Jan 6 Capitol riot

Trump’s decision to pardon nearly all of the 1,590 individuals charged over the January 6 riot has effectively erased their legal consequences, with exceptions for just 14 cases. Those from the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were convicted saw their sentences cut short and were released from federal prison.

The US attorney general has also been directed by Trump to dismiss all pending cases connected to the riot.

“These people have been destroyed,” Trump stated upon returning to the Oval Office for the first time since the previous year.

“What they’ve done to these people is outrageous.”

The pardons drew sharp criticism from Democrats, who condemned the decision to include violent rioters. Many of the crimes were captured on camera and broadcast live.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the pardons “an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress, and the Constitution.

What happened on January 6, 2021?

On January 6, 2021, thousands of people stormed the US Capitol following an inflammatory speech by Donald Trump.

The mob dismantled barricades, clashed with police, and forced lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence to flee as Congress convened to certify the 2020 election results.

Police officers were dragged into the crowd and assaulted. Rioters used improvised weapons, such as flagpoles, a crutch, and a hockey stick, to attack law enforcement.

Investigators identified a variety of weapons among the mob, including firearms, knives, a pitchfork, a tomahawk axe, and brass knuckle gloves. Officers later testified to fearing for their lives as the mob hurled abuse and obscenities at them.

More than 1,000 rioters were sentenced, with over 700 serving time in prison. Others received punishments such as probation, community service, house arrest, or fines.

In the weeks leading up to his return to the White House, Trump hinted that he would review the cases of the January 6 defendants individually, rather than granting blanket pardons. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance had stated just days earlier that those responsible for violence during the riot “obviously” should not receive pardons.

With inputs from agencies