Trump Inauguration Updates: Trump Pardons 1,500 January 6 Defendants

Key Takeaways

• 7:42 p.m. EST: Trump said in the Oval Office he is issuing immediate pardons to some 1,500 people charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot—a sweeping and dramatic move that could wipe away criminal charges or convictions for the vast majority of accused rioters—while another six have received commutations, which typically result in a shorter sentence (the pardon recipients weren’t named).
  
• 6:50 p.m. EST: Trump signed nine executive orders in front of throngs of supporters at Capital One Arena, including a withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, a “regulatory freeze,” a pause on most federal hiring, a requirement that federal employees work in-person full-time and the revocation of 78 Biden-era orders.
  
• 6:44 p.m. EST: Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio—sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy and other Jan. 6-related charges—is already being processed for release from prison, his lawyer told The New York Times, as Trump prepares to grant clemency to Jan. 6 defendants (it’s not clear if Tarrio is due for a pardon or commutation).
  
• 6:15 p.m. EST: Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff—who was involved in negotiating a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas last week—introduced the families of hostages taken by Hamas, during a speech at Capital One Arena.
  
• 5:25 p.m. EST: Trump arrives at Capitol One Arena alongside his wife Melania for an indoor parade where he’s expected to sign a slate of executive orders in front of his supporters.
  
• 4:50 p.m. EST: Trump departed the Capitol after his swearing-in, luncheon and other events, ahead of a parade at Capital One Arena, which was moved inside due to cold weather.
  
• 4:45 p.m. EST: Trump administration staffers were spotted arriving at the White House, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and billionaire ally Elon Musk, who is expected to have an office in the West Wing, The New York Times reported, citing two unnamed sources who said Musk advocated for space within close proximity to Trump.
  
• 2:55 p.m. EST: A notice on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website said the CBP One app that allowed migrants to schedule appointments in advance at eight ports of entry has been disabled and all existing appointments have been cancelled.
  
• 2:55 p.m. EST: Billionaire SpaceX founder Elon Musk began his post-inauguration speech at Capital One Arena—ahead of Trump’s appearance—with a roar into the microphone, telling Trump supporters the president’s election “really mattered” and was “a fork in the road of human civilization” before saluting the crowd.
  
• 2:48 p.m. EST: A portrait of Gen. Mark Milley, who was pardoned by former President Joe Biden on Monday and has been a target of Trump’s ire, was removed from a wall in the Pentagon just 10 days after it was unveiled in the hallway outside the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, according to CNN.
  
• 1:40 p.m. EST: Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino said in a statement the Panama Canal will remain under his country’s control after Trump vowed to take control of the crucial trading shortcut.
  
• 1:40 p.m. EST: In a speech to supporters, Trump addressed several divisive topics he left out of his formal inaugural address, saying he “was going to talk about the J6 hostages” and teasing “a lot of action on the J6 hostages,” referring to Jan. 6 defendants, who he has said repeatedly he is considering pardoning. Trump also reiterated baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election and blasted former President Joe Biden for pardoning members of the Jan. 6 committee, which he called “the unselect committee of political thugs,” including former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who he called a “crying lunatic,” and Gen. Mark Milley. Trump said Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance urged him to keep the controversial topics out of his formal inaugural address.
  
• 1:15 p.m. EST: Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden left the Capitol on a Marine helicopter en route to Joint Base Andrews, where Biden is expected to deliver brief farewell remarks before the Bidens depart for California.
  
• 12:45 p.m. EST: Country singer Carrie Underwood sang “America the Beautiful.”
  
• 12:31 p.m. EST: Trump, speaking after taking the oath of office, reiterated his push to take back the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” Trump also promised his administration would launch “American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars,” as billionaire SpaceX founder Elon Musk, standing behind him, gave a thumbs up.
  
• 12:25 p.m. EST: Trump said he will declare a national emergency on immigration that will immediately halt “all illegal entry,” reinstate a policy from his first term that requires migrants to remain in Mexico while their immigration cases play out, send troops to the southern border, and designate cartels as foreign terrorists. Trump also said he would declare a national energy emergency and “drill baby drill” and “export American energy all over the world,” vowing to end Biden-era climate policies.
  
• 12:11 p.m. EST: Trump spoke for the first time after being sworn in as president, vowing, “our sovereignty will be reclaimed, our safety will be restored, the scales of justice will be rebalanced, the vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of our Justice Department and our government will end.” Touching on the assassination attempts against him, Trump said, “I was saved by God to make America great again,” and also mentioned the wildfires in California and hurricane damage in North Carolina, telling the audience, “our country can no longer deliver basic services . . . my recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal.” Acknowledging that it’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Trump thanked Black and Hispanic voters who voted for him and said, “in his honor, we will strive together to make his dream a reality. We will make his dream come true.”
  
• 12:01 p.m. EST: Trump is sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts.
  
• 12:00 p.m. EST: Vance is sworn in as vice president.
  
• 11:55 a.m. EST: President Joe Biden preemptively pardoned three of his siblings and two in-laws, in one of his final acts as president.
  
• 11:45 a.m. EST: Trump walked into the Capitol Rotunda for the swearing-in ceremony, kissing Melania Trump and shaking hands with Biden and Trump’s father-in-law, Viktor Knavs.
  
• 11:42 a.m. EST: Vance enters the Capitol Rotunda.
  
• 11:41 a.m. EST: Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris enter the Capitol Rotunda for the swearing-in ceremony.
  
• 11:39 a.m. EST: Melania Trump enters the Capitol Rotunda and is seated next to her son, Barron Trump.
  
• 11:12 a.m. EST: Trump and Biden have arrived at the Capitol for the swearing-in.
  
• 11:10 a.m. EST: Musk, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos—tech leaders who have courted alliances with Trump—were given prime seats near Trump’s family and cabinet members at the ceremony.
  
• 10:50 a.m. EST: Trump administration appointees and cabinet nominees, including Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi, Department of Government Efficiency heads Vivek Ramaswamy and Musk, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard, entered the Capitol Rotunda ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
  
• 10:50 a.m. EST: Former Vice President Mike Pence—whose relationship with Trump soured after he refused to toss out Joe Biden’s 2020 election win—arrived for the ceremony, where a number of celebrities and high-profile guests were spotted in the crowd, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, YouTubers Jake and Logan Paul, and UFC fighter Conor McGregor.
  
• 10:40 a.m. EST: Trump and President Joe Biden departed the White House in the same limousine en route to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.
  
• 10:15 a.m. EST: Former Republican House Speakers Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), John Boehner (Ohio), and Newt Gingrich (Ga.) arrive at the Capitol Rotunda for the swearing-in ceremony—along with Musk, Bezos, and other tech industry billionaires.
  
• 10:13 a.m. EST: Trump blasted the preemptive pardons Biden issued Monday for Jan. 6 committee members and witnesses, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley, as “disgraceful” in a text to NBC News.
  
• 9:56 a.m. EST: The Trumps arrived at the White House for tea with Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, with Biden telling the Trumps “welcome home” as they exited their vehicle and were greeted by the Bidens.
  
• 9:43 a.m. EST: Vance and his wife Usha arrived at the White House and were greeted by outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
  
• 9:34 a.m. EST: Musk, Zuckerberg, Pichai, Cook, and Bezos attended a morning church service with Trump at St. John’s to kick off the Inauguration Day activities.
  
• 8:43 a.m. EST: The Trumps arrive at St. John’s Church, after departing Blair House—a guest house near the White House where incoming presidents traditionally stay—alongside Vance and his wife.
  
• 8:27 a.m. EST: New York City Mayor Eric Adams will attend the inauguration after a last-minute, same-day invitation from the Trump administration, Deputy Mayor of Communication Fabien Levy said. Adams, a Democrat, attended a dinner with the Trumps last week amid rumors Trump may pardon the mayor on charges including bribery and wire fraud.
  
• 8:00 a.m. EST: Members of Trump’s family and entourage were photographed arriving at the church, including his daughter Ivanka Trump, billionaire Elon Musk, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.