Trump says he would compensate Jan. 6 rioters if he could, despite legal challenges to fund

President Donald Trump told NBC's Meet the Press that he would allocate compensation to individuals charged with assaulting police during the Jan. 6 Capitol breach if he were able to, though he stopped short of a definitive commitment. He described the proposed "anti‑weaponization" fund, valued at about $1.8 billion, as a means to redress what he called unfair treatment by prosecutors.

When host Kristen Welker asked whether those who attacked officers should receive taxpayer‑funded payments, Trump replied, "> I wouldn’t be inclined to say so, but I have to see it. > Well, look – if it was up to me, I’d pay them the kind of money that they deserve. People have been destroyed. Lives have been destroyed."

The fund has faced legal obstacles; a federal judge issued a temporary injunction on May 29 to halt its creation while a lawsuit proceeds, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers on June 2 that the administration was not moving forward with it.

Trump also argued that many defendants pleaded guilty out of fear of longer sentences, adding that the individuals involved had been "frightened." He reiterated his earlier pledge to grant clemency, noting that on his first day back in office he pardoned roughly 1,500 participants in the Capitol attack, including some who assaulted police.

The interview also included unrelated remarks about alleged election irregularities in California and potential U.S. actions regarding Iran's high‑enriched uranium, after which Trump abruptly ended the segment, accusing the network of bias.