January 6 accused ask to enter DC for Donald Trump’s inauguration
Several people accused of involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot have asked federal judges to allow them to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Why It Matters
Trump has repeatedly said that he will pardon the January 6 rioters. At campaign rallies during the 2024 presidential election, he told supporters that jailed rioters were “January 6 hostages” and not “January 6 prisoners” and that he would get them out of prison.
Several Republican representatives have invited January 6 accused as their guests at the inauguration. Their presence will help to further solidify Trump’s connection to them and shows their continued support for his presidency.
U.S Attorney’s Office, Washington, D.C
What to Know
On December 28, one alleged rioter, William Alexander Pope, filed a “motion to travel to the inauguration” before a federal judge in Topeka, Kansas.
In March, 2021, the same court banned Pope from traveling to Washington, D.C., set as a bail condition for his release.
He wrote in his latest application: “I now move the Court for permission to travel to Washington, D.C., for the purpose of attending the presidential inauguration on January 20, 2025. Initially, I had declined an invitation to attend the inauguration (since I don’t enjoy being in Washington). However, I have now been asked a second time and I believe it would now be inappropriate for me to turn this request down.”
He adds that his trip will be “entirely peaceful.”
In November, Pope asked a Washington, D.C., federal judge, Rudolph Contreras, to delay his trial until after the Trump inauguration, warning that “wielding extreme government force can lead to a dangerous cycle of escalating retribution as control of the government continues changing hands.”
Pope is awaiting trial on charges of civil disorder, trespassing, disorderly conduct and picketing at the Capitol.
Also in December, a convicted January 6 rioter asked a court for permission to attend Trump’s inauguration.
A retired Republican congressman invited Russell Taylor to the inauguration and told the court that three other members of the inauguration’s Utah congressional delegation had all extended the same invitation.
Taylor was under house arrest for his part in the 2021 riot, during which he encouraged other Trump supporters to storm past Capitol police. He later cooperated with the FBI and testified against another rioter.
On December 19, a Missouri man who pleaded guilty to entering the Capitol on January 6 was granted permission to attend the inauguration.
Washington, D.C., federal judge Tanya Chutkan granted permission to Eric Peterson, who pleaded guilty in 2024 to “entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds” during the riot.
Peterson is due to be sentenced on January 27, a week after the inauguration.
Peterson was never accused of rioting, only of entering the Capitol, taking photos and leaving again.
What People Are Saying
Kyle Cheney, a legal affairs correspondent with Politico, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday that five or six of the January 6 accused had applied to attend the Trump inauguration.
“Jan. 6 defendant William Pope is asking for court permission to enter DC to attend Trump’s inauguration. He’s roughly the 5th or 6th defendant to request permission. Only one — a misdemeanor defendant — has been approved to attend so far,” Cheney wrote.
What Happens Next
Peterson is the only January 6 accused who has so far been granted permission. They others are seeking federal court permission to attend. If they are granted permission, it will be on a restricted basis. They will only be allowed to stay in Washington, D.C., for one or two nights before returning to their home states.
