NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Directly following his inauguration, President Donald Trump made his way to the Oval Office to pardon roughly 1,500 people charged in the January 6 Capitol breach, including roughly 27 Tennesseans.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) called the protest the largest investigation it had ever conducted. The events of January 6th ended with more than 100 officers injured after an estimated 2,500 people stormed the Capitol.
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“Tonight, I’m going to be signing on the J6 hostages — pardons to get them out,” Trump said Monday. “And as soon as I leave, I’m going to the Oval Office and we’ll be signing pardons for a lot of people.”
One of Tennessee’s most notable cases involved Eric Munchel, along with his mom, Lisa Eisenhart. Munchel was coined the “Zip Tie Guy,” after he was seen carrying plastic restraints as he and his mother eventually made their way into the gallery. Munchel was also charged for bringing a Taser into the Capitol.
Another Tennessee family duo included a father and son from Charlotte, Mark and Jerry McKane Waynick. The son, Jerry, was charged after he attempted to take a baton from an officer and later threw a large cone at law enforcement blocking the Capitol entrance.
“We hope they come out tonight, frankly,” Trump said as he signed the proclamation following his inauguration. “They’re expecting it.”
Another Tennessean charged was Matthew Bledsoe. Like many, he took to social media to document his journey through the Capitol. In his charging documents, the DOJ claimed Bledsoe entered the Capitol saying “we’re going in” and “this is our house.”
News 2 attempted to reach all 27 of the Tennesseans listed as charged by the DOJ who we could find, but were not able to find anyone willing to talk about their pardon Tuesday.
