WTF Happened Today – Trump issued a sweeping executive order pardoning nearly 1,600 people convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and commuting the sentences of 14 others, including members of extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. The move effectively ended the Justice Department’s four-year investigation into the riot and dismissed hundreds of pending cases. Among those pardoned were Enrique Tarrio, Proud Boys leader, and Stewart Rhodes, Oath Keepers founder – both convicted of seditious conspiracy. Tarrio had been sentenced to 22 years in the federal penitentiary, while Rhodes had been sentenced to 18 years in prison after a judge said he presented “an ongoing threat and peril to this country […] and to the very fabric of our democracy.” The pardons fulfilled a major campaign promise by Trump, who framed Jan. 6 defendants as “patriots” and “hostages.” The action erased sentences for violent crimes, including assaults on police officers, sparking criticism from former investigators, judges, and officers injured in the riot. Trump also directed the Justice Department to halt prosecutions and release those still incarcerated. (NPR / New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / Politico / Axios / CBS News / NBC News / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)