Donald Trump pardons 1,600 Capitol rioters within hours of taking office
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President Donald Trump sat with a sombre face as a Bishop addressed him in a sermon today, asking him to ‘have mercy’ on those in America who are scared. During the Interfaith National Prayer Service today, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde asked Trump: ‘Millions have put their trust in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God.
![[FILE PHOTO: Then-U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands ahead of their bilateral meeting during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236165868-025b.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘In the name of our Lord, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared.’. She went on to reference those in the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants and other marginalised people in America – some of whom, she said, ‘fear for their lives’.
![[U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania attend the National Day of Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236823603-f0b6.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbours.’. Leaving the service, Trump told reporters: ‘Not too exciting, was it? I didn’t think it was a good service. They could do much better.’.
![[(L-R) US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance attend the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on January 21, 2025. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236824351-352e.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The moment came as Trump marked his first day back in office by signing a spate of executive orders – to the delight and dismay of millions of Americans. Some of the other 200+ executive orders signed by Trump include the US’ withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organisation, repealing a ban on drilling for oil in the Arctic and deploying the military to the Mexican border after declaring a national emergency there.
