Donald Trump says he will pardon the January 6 protesters on the first day: ‘We are working very fast’

President-elect Donald Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker on Sunday that he wants to pardon the January 6 riots on the first day of his administration and said people on the January 6 committee in Congress should be arrested.

“I’m going to look at everything. We’re going to look at individual cases,” Trump told Welker. “But I will act quickly.”

Trump said during the campaign that he planned to pardon the rioters of January 6. Welker followed up and asked how soon he planned to do it.

“Day one, I’m looking at day one. These people have been there – how long? Three, four years,” Trump said. “They’ve been living there for years. And they’re in a dirty, disgusting place that shouldn’t even be allowed to open.”

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Welker also asked about President Biden considering preemptive pardons for some of Trump’s opponents, such as Liz Cheney or Sen.-elect Adam Schiff. White House attorney Ed Siskel is planning talks about a possible pardon with some of Biden’s top aides, including chief of staff Jeff Zients, Politico reported, citing senior Democrats familiar with the discussions.

“For what they did, frankly, they should go to jail,” Trump told Welker.

Welker asked if he could direct his FBI director to send anyone to the Jan. 6 committee, such as Sen. Liz Cheney, in prison.

“No, not really. I think they’re going to have to look at that, but I’m not going to — I’m going to focus on the drill, baby, drill,” Trump replied.

President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena on August 23, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

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The New York Times editorial board warned that President Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, would give Trump cover to justify the January 6 Capitol riots.

“It is easy to think that the ‘they also did it’ defense should be granted if Mr. Trump pardons the perpetrators of the violence that attacked the Capitol on January 6, as he has suggested that he will do. Hunter Biden’s crimes are not nearly as criminal as the destruction caused by the riots, but his father’s actions undermine the defense against future abuse.”

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Biden announced last week that he forgave his son from any crime against the US that he “committed or may have committed” from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 1, 2024.

In his statement, Biden also accused the Justice Department of targeting his son “improperly.” He wrote, “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere in the decision-making of the Department of Justice, and I kept my word as I watched my son being prosecuted selectively and unfairly.”

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.