Vance Reveals ‘Simple’ Approach To January 6 Pardons

Vice President-elect JD Vance has offered insight into the “simple” process by which President-elect Donald Trump plans to conduct January 6 pardons, suggesting that people who were convicted of non-violent crimes only will receive clemency.

With a little more than a week before Inauguration Day, Vance took aim at the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the leadership of Attorney General Merrick Garland during an interview on “Fox News Sunday” with anchor Shannon Bream.

“January 6th pardons: President Trump says there’s a process. Where is the line drawn? And who will and wouldn’t be considered for a pardon?” Bream asked.

WATCH: @JDVance lays out President-elect Trump’s pardon process for January 6th participants. Tune in tomorrow for the rest of Shannon's exclusive interview with Vice President-elect JD Vance. pic.twitter.com/RvqXrL6rO3

— Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) January 11, 2025

“I think it’s very simple,” Vance replied. “Look, if you protested peacefully on January the 6th, and you’ve had Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned. If you committed violence on that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned.”

He also said: “And there’s a little bit of a gray area there. But we’re very much committed to seeing the equal administration of law. And there are a lot of people, we think in the wake of January the 6th, who were prosecuted unfairly. We need to rectify that.”

More than 1,500 people have been prosecuted in connection to the U.S. Capitol riot four years ago, according to the DOJ. Many of the defendants pleaded guilty or were found guilty, and several hundred of them were sentenced to prison.

RELATED: U.S. Attorney Behind January 6 Prosecutions Stepping Down Before Trump’s Inauguration

The Associated Press says hundreds of defendants “who did not engage in destruction or violence were charged only with misdemeanor offenses for entering the Capitol illegally,” while others faced more serious charges related to violence or conspiracy.

Trump told NBC News in December that his team was “looking at” the prospect of pardoning January 6 defendants on the first day of his second term.  “Those people have suffered long and hard,” Trump said. However, Trump also conceded “there may be some exceptions” when it comes to dolling out pardons.

Last week, a federal appeals court gave Garland permission to release now-former special counsel Jack Smith’s report volume on his 2020 election interference investigation into Trump, though it remained unclear as of press time whether such a disclosure will ultimately get blocked.