President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned about 1,500 people for crimes related to 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol, fulfilling a campaign promise.
"These are the hostages," he said while signing the papers in the Oval Office amid a wide-ranging news conference.
"We hope they come out tonight, frankly," Trump said after signing the pardons. "They're expecting it."
Trump had promised to begin the pardon process within his "first nine minutes" of returning to the White House. By Monday evening, he had issued a pardon proclamation.
"This proclamation ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation," he said in the proclamation.
Rhodes and four other Oath Keepers were convicted of sedition for plotting to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election. Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Those were in addition to "all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021," according to the proclamation.
