Trump calls Jan. 6 defendants 'hostages' because the rule of law is for other people's supporters

More than 1,100 people have been charged with crimes for their roles in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. A handful of leaders have been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison, though as of March, only 58% of those sentenced had received prison time with a median sentence of 60 days. This looks like the justice system working as it ought to: A crime was committed in full view of the world and people have been charged and sentenced according to the level of their participation, with many avoiding prison entirely while leaders will serve serious time.

To Donald Trump, though, it’s a deep injustice. Trump opened his Thursday rally in Texas with the recording of the national anthem as sung by the “J6 Prison Choir”—a recording on which Trump recites the pledge of allegiance—then launched into an explanation of what the audience had just heard.

“Well, thank you very much, and you know what that was,” he said. “That was, I call them the ‘J6 hostages,’ not prisoners. I call them the hostages, what’s happened. And it’s a shame. And you know, they did that, and they asked me whether or not I would partake and do the beautiful words, and I said yes, I would, and you saw the spirit, the spirit was incredible.”