Trump calls Jan. 6 prisoners ‘hostages’ in Houston speech

Former President Donald Trump, the 2024 GOP frontrunner, opened his speech in Houston, Texas, on Sunday by way of describing his supporters imprisoned for crimes hooked up to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol rebellion as “hostages.”

The observation got here as over 200 folks taken hostage by way of Hamas all the way through their Oct. 7 assault on Israel are nonetheless unaccounted for. Four were launched, two of which were Americans. U.S. officers have no longer stated if there are some other Americans believed to be some of the hostages.

Trump didn’t carry up the Hamas hostages and handiest discussed the war in Israel and Gaza in passing in his 90 minute speech.

The former president stood saluting at the level prior to his speech, subsidized by way of a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner sung by way of a choir of jailed males accused and convicted of crimes hooked up to the Jan. 6 revolt, interspersed with Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The tune, titled “Justice for All” used to be recorded earlier this year by way of the J6 Prison Choir.

“You know that was? I call them the J6 hostages, not prisoners. I call them the hostages,” Trump stated in the primary moments of his speech at an offshore drilling corporate’s facility. “They asked me whether or not I would partake and do the beautiful words. I said, yes, I would. And you saw the spirit, the spirit was incredible.”

When requested by way of e mail if the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which is chargeable for many of the Jan. 6 Capitol rebellion prosecutions, had any touch upon Trump’s characterization, a spokesperson responded “no, thank you.”

As of Oct 6, 1,185 folks were charged with crimes hooked up to the revolt, consistent with the most recent Department of Justice knowledge. Of the ones charged, 660 entered to blame pleas, together with just about 200 who pleaded to blame to felonies. At trial, 122 have been discovered to blame, together with key participants and leaders of a pro-Trump militia and street gang, a few of whom have gained a long time in jail. 

Five of the more or less 15 participants of the J6 Prison Choir have been identified by way of the Washington Post in May. All 5 have since both been convicted or pleaded to blame. Four have been charged with assaulting a regulation enforcement officer, together with Julian Khater, 34, who pleaded to blame prior to the tune used to be recorded to assaulting more than one officials and used to be sentenced to just about six years in jail.
One of the officials Khater assaulted with pepper spray used to be Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknik. Sicknick died the next day to come from herbal reasons consistent with the Washington, D.C., leader clinical examiner on the time, who (*6*) “all that transpired played a role in his condition.”

Jonathan G. Mellis, 35, pleaded guilty in June to legal assaulting, resisting, or impeding positive officials the usage of a perilous weapon after the usage of a big wood persist with try to strike officials the place their armor used to be weakest. He faces a most of twenty years in jail.

William Chrestman, 49, a Kansas City-area member of the Proud Boys, pleaded guilty previous this month to 2 felonies for his position in the rebellion – threatening to attack a federal officer and obstructing an legitimate continuing. Prosecutors stated he performed a key position in the assault and wielded an ax deal with.

Marine Corps veteran Ryan Nichols, 32, took a plea deal previous this month on fees of assaulting, resisting or impeding police and obstructing an legitimate continuing after prosecutors published photographs they stated confirmed him spraying chemical irritants and wielding a crowbar in the rioting crowd. He known as for dragging politicians in the course of the streets, prosecutors stated.

And Shane Jenkins, 45, used to be sentenced to 6 years in jail and 3 years of supervised unlock on Oct. 6 after being convicted of 7 felonies and two misdemeanors. He threatened to kill Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and previous Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to prosecutors. He used a tomahawk to damage the home windows of the Capitol, assembled furnishings to make use of as guns after which used the ones guns on regulation enforcement officials. 

“I’ve homicide in my center and head,” Jenkins wrote to an affiliate in the weeks after the rebellion, prosecutors stated.

Trump made the commute to Houston as he campaigns to safe the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. He holds an enormous lead in nationwide and state polls, together with in delegate-rich Texas the place recent polls display him up 40 to 50 proportion issues.

“It’s the most important election of your lives. And I love your state. I’ll always take care of your state. Go out and vote,” Trump stated on the conclusion of his speech. “We’re going to make America great again. We’re going to make it greater than ever before.”