Well, right after Donald Trump became the 47th President of the United States, we’re seeing the name of Proud Boys in the headlines once again. And if you have been following some recent presidential elections in the country, then you must already remember the Proud Boys from the January 6th incident, right? Well, right now, it has all turned into the Proud Boys because Trump went on to pardon many who were involved on that chaotic day back in 2021.
Who Exactly Are the Proud Boys?
Let’s first try to get an idea of the Proud Boys’ background and the things they really are. Since 2016, the group has been quite a controversial topic in the media, because, very often, its members could be seen at political rallies and demonstrations, where they were frequently quite loud and, at times, violent. The group labels themselves as “Western chauvinists,” which implies that they think Western culture is the best one. But most of the time, that is actually interpreted as them endorsing the domination of the white, male race, which is, frankly, not a very down-to-earth way of putting it.
They are such a group that has been recognized for their vehement antagonism towards immigrants, feminists, and the LGBTQ+ communities. Even though they say that they are not racist, the members of their group have repeatedly been at the center of several racist incidents. In fact, these organizations have been officially labeled as terrorist groups in countries like Canada and New Zealand. Just this fact is already telling you how deep the trouble is. However, their most significant and widely known event was their participation in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
What Happened on January 6?
While the Congress was inside carrying out the process to formally declare Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election, things outside the Capitol building were rapidly going in another direction. The Proud Boys, in addition to several hundred Trump backers, arrived intending to interfere with the process.
What Were the Charges?
Law enforcement was not quite happy after the whole incident. The top guys in the Proud Boys were hit by a bunch of charges, the most severe ones, among which was a seditious conspiracy, which implied they were planning to violently overthrow or disturb the government.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the sentences they received:
- Enrique Tarrio – 22 years
- Ethan Nordean – 18 years
- Joseph Biggs – 17 years
- Zachary Rehl – 15 years
- Dominic Pezzola – 10 years
Then Came Trump’s Pardons
Donald Trump came back to the White House in January 2025, right after the calm was put in place. Then, among his most significant and contentious actions was the one he made by way of executive powers, or his clemency or commutation of sentences granted to over 1,000 individuals related to the January 6 event, notably the Proud Boys leaders.
He went as far as calling them “hostages” and claimed that their “outrageous” treatment was the only thing that he could think of. These pardons eliminated their criminal records; it is now as if those crimes they were convicted of never took place. Those who were supportive of this move as daring political action contrasted it with the critics who referred to it as a trampling of the judicial system.
What’s this lawsuit all about?
And the story just gets more complicated from here on. How? Oh, in June 2025, Tarrio and his gang filed a lawsuit against the federal government, demanding $100 million. You got it, the very same guys who were found guilty of attempting to interfere with an election are now claiming that they were the ones who suffered.
The primary point of contention? According to them, the Justice Department and FBI were on a mission to harm them, not as a result of lawbreaking but because they supported Trump. They maintain these cases as being politicized, unjust, and aimed at shutting up conservatives.
