Enrique Tarrio, the former head of the extremist group Proud Boys, has been released from prison. He was interviewed by FOX 4 News at Love Field on his way to Miami.
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Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio talked to reporters at Dallas Love Field after being released from prison in Louisiana.
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He thanked the president for granting him a full pardon.
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Torrio was serving a 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy and obstruction of Congress.
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Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio talked to reporters at Dallas Love Field after being released from prison in Louisiana.
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He thanked the president for granting him a full pardon.
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Torrio was serving a 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy and obstruction of Congress.
DALLAS—The guy who was given the maximum jail term for his involvement in the Capitol Riot on January 6 hailed President Donald Trump for fully pardoning him.
What’s fresh:
Enrigue Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, left Dallas Love Field on Wednesday to return to South Florida after being released from prison in Louisiana.
He claimed that the electorate’s will was reflected in Trump’s decision to grant mercy to all of the defendants from January 6.
“I believe the conversation was altered on November 5th of last year. Additionally, I believe that America woke up and made the proper choice. It was for all of us, not just for today. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press for you all. And in my opinion, America won by a significant margin. America is returning,” he declared.
Tarrio responded, “Breathing free man’s air feels good,” when asked how it feels to be free.
In addition, he said that the media should no longer refer to him as the “ex-Proud Boys leader,” a reference to his present association with the group.
The backstory
Tarrio was found guilty of seditious conspiracy and obstruction of Congress and given a 22-year prison sentence.
Prosecutors claimed that he organized the violent acts of his extremist group in an attempt to thwart the transfer of presidential power, despite the fact that he was not in Washington, D.C., at the time of the Capitol attack.
Following the attack, Tarrio reportedly broke up with the Proud Boys.
Highlighted
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes among North Texans released from prison after Jan 6 pardons
After President Donald Trump granted clemency to hundreds of January 6 offenders, the most well-known defendant from the Capitol riot from North Texas was released from prison.
Jan. 6 Pardons
We know:
President Trump pardoned everyone convicted of federal offenses related to the Capitol uprising on January 6 through an executive order Monday night.
When the federal government picked up people for the attack, President Trump frequently referred to them as “hostages.”
During Monday’s inaugural speech, Trump referred to January 20, 2025, as “Liberation Day.”
The president remarked, “I thought their sentences were ridiculous and excessive,” “These individuals genuinely cared about our nation. Therefore, we believed that a pardon would be suitable.
Trump pardons people convicted in the Jan. 6 riot on 1st day in office
President Donald Trump has pardoned over 1,500 rioters who participated in the 2021 Capitol storm. What we know is as follows.
Based on the figures:
The biggest case in the history of the U.S. Justice Department was the one that was prosecuted on January 6.
In all, almost 1,500 people received pardons. Additionally, the cases of 300 other people who are awaiting trial have been dropped.
More than 1,000 of the 1,500 entered guilty pleas, and 250 were found guilty following a trial. Following bench trials, judges cleared only two accused rioters of all charges. No defendant has ever been found not guilty by a jury.
The president’s promised reform of the Justice Department itself began with the reversal of those prosecutions.
Those participating in the incident at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th had their sentences shortened and pardoned by President Trump. Outside of jails, relatives of those accused have waited for the release of prisoners.
The opposing viewpoint:
Instead of general pardons, some of Trump’s supporters anticipated a more targeted approach to the clemency decision.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, however, stated that he would not question the president’s choice.
Overview:
According to constitutional lawyer David Coale, the founding fathers of our nation drew on their knowledge of English law when they decided to include pardons in the constitution. The thought that the king could simply let someone go seemed to appeal to them.
“These pardons are essentially a way to get out of jail free.” The decks are cleared. There are no longer any prosecutions. The convictions are vanished. The conviction no longer hangs around a person’s neck, allowing them to go about their business. And more people have benefited from that this month than at any other time in the history of our country,” he remarked.
Just before he left office, former President Joe Biden also granted preemptive pardons to a number of family members, Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley, and the House committee that looked into the Jan. 6 attack, despite the fact that none of them had been charged or found guilty of any crimes.
Biden issues preemptive pardons for Fauci, Milley, Jan. 6 committee members
Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, and Jan. 6 committee members were pardoned by President Joe Biden in his closing hours in office in order to avoid possible Trump “revenge.”
“Because both Biden’s and Trump’s pardons are tainted by political and personal interests, I don’t think this is very healthy. These individuals backed Mr. Trump so fervently that they committed violent crimes on January 6, according to Coale.
Additionally, we haven’t seen a lot of this in the past when it comes to Mr. Biden leaving office, including the use of the pardon for your family members. And it’s a little novel for the president to pardon those in whom he has a direct stake, whether they be friends, relatives, or political allies. It is quite unique, and it does help to popularize the pardon power.
The Origin:This story’s content is based on previous news coverage and an interview with constitutional law lawyer David Coale and Enrique Tarrio.
