Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mentioned that he will not talk about possibly pardoning the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters until he becomes the general election winner.
Kennedy chose not to reveal a lot about his strategy for the people who entered the Capitol over three years ago, stating that he would handle it individually, but he did confirm that he would pardon American intelligence contractor Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Kennedy told Fox News’s Neil Cavuto in a Tuesday interview that he wouldn't comment on whether it would be a “good idea” to pardon any Jan. 6 rioters.
“You know, that’s not something that I would comment on until I was president of the United States.”
Cavuto asked Kennedy how he would approach the situation after mentioning that former President Trump said Monday he would release all Jan. 6 “hostages” if elected back into the White House.
“My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social.
Kennedy, after stating he would not comment on the matter, shared that he plans to utilize presidential pardon power if elected later this year. He indicated that besides Assange and Snowden, he might pardon dark web marketplace creator Ross Ulbricht.
“I would pardon people,” Kennedy said, adding that he aims to use the pardon power quickly in office. He plans to pardon Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, and possibly Ross Ulbricht if he finds that his prosecution and sentence were to make an example of him to punish Bitcoin and cryptocurrency.
Cavuto then asked if he would extend that to those who rioted on Jan. 6 and are in jail.
“I would look at individual cases,” Kennedy said.
More than 1,300 people have been charged related to the riot at the Capitol. At least 400 people were charged with assaulting law enforcement, according to the Department of Justice.
