Lauren Boebert Vows to 'Fight' for Capitol Rioters on Jan. 6 Anniversary

Representative Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican, vowed to "fight" for jailed Capitol rioters on Saturday on the third anniversary of January 6, 2021.

On that fateful day, a mob of Donald Trump's supporters laid siege on the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's 2020 election win. The riot erupted after Trump made repeated false claims that the election was stolen from him via widespread voter fraud. The former president, meanwhile, has denied taking part in an insurrection.

More than 1,265 people have been charged for their actions surrounding the Capitol riot, according to the latest data from the Department of Justice (DOJ). Of those charged, 718 people have pleaded guilty and 139 people have been found guilty at contested trials. Approximately 749 federal defendants have received sentences, including 467 who were sentenced to jail time and 154 defendants who were sentenced to home detention, of which 28 individuals were sentenced to some jail time as well.

Despite hundreds of people being charged for their actions that day, some members of Congress and even Trump himself have defended the rioters.

On Saturday, Boebert, a Trump supporter who has also maintained that the 2020 election was stolen, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "On the third anniversary of January 6th, may we never forget the way that Joe Biden has treated and is still treating the political prisoners from that day. Our country cannot claim a moral high ground any longer when it comes to political prosecutions and political prisoners due to what has stemmed from that day. I will fight for justice to be restored to America and for these wrongs to be made right!"

Boebert has previously denied any involvement in the riot, following allegations that her office communicated with event organizers on that day. In an October 2021 Rolling Stone exclusive, two anonymous organizers of pro-Trump rallies in Washington, D.C., on January 6 said they met with multiple members of Congress or their staffs, including Boebert's team. The organizers, however, denied any involvement in the riot.

"Let me be clear. I had no role in the planning or execution of any event that took place at the Capitol or anywhere in Washington, D.C., on January 6th," the congresswoman said in a press release at the time.

Newsweek reached out to Boebert's office, as well as Trump's and Biden's campaigns via email for comment.

Trump, the current frontrunner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, had little to say about the January 6 anniversary while campaigning in Iowa on Saturday.

Instead of focusing on the jailed rioters, which he previously called "J6 hostages," he took a shot at Biden who is campaigning for a second term.

"This guy goes around and says I'm a threat to democracy," Trump said in a speech. "He's a threat to democracy....You know, you can be grossly incompetent and be a threat to democracy."

The former president has also been charged by the DOJ for his actions surrounding the Capitol riot. He was indicted in August 2023 on four federal felony counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has claimed that the case is politically motivated.

Biden, meanwhile, has tried to hammer the severity of the Capitol riot and the threat it had on the country's democracy. In a Friday speech in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, regarding the riot, Biden accused Trump of being "willing to sacrifice our democracy [to] put himself in power."

"Trump's assault on democracy isn't just part of his past," the president warned. "It's what he's promising for the future."