President Donald Trump did not rule out paying Jan. 6 payouts for people charged with assaulting police officers during the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.
Trump made the comments in an NBC News “Meet the Press” interview when moderator Kristen Welker asked whether such defendants should receive taxpayer-funded compensation. “I wouldn’t be inclined to say so, but I have to see it,” Trump said, according to NBC News.
Trump defended his administration’s proposed “anti-weaponisation” fund. He said people prosecuted after Jan. 6 had been unfairly targeted and deserved compensation.
The fund’s future remains uncertain. A federal judge temporarily blocked the administration from creating it on May 29 while a lawsuit moves forward.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on June 2 that the administration was “not moving forward with the fund, period.”
Read: Anti-Weaponisation Fund Faces Ex-Judges’ Challenge
NBC News said about 1,600 people were charged in connection with the Capitol attack. More than 140 police officers were injured during the violence.
Trump also repeated unsupported claims about elections in California. When Welker asked whether he had evidence of cheating, Trump said, “All I have to do is look.”
California law allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if officials receive them within 7 days. That process can delay results in competitive races.
