Will Jan. 6 defendants go from prison to payday?

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Will Jan. 6 Defendants Go from Prison to Payday?

Podcast: Consider This from NPR
Host: Scott Detrow
Date: May 21, 2026
Episode Length: ~7 minutes (not including ads)

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Episode Overview

This episode of Consider This focuses on a controversial new initiative from the Trump Department of Justice: a $1.8 billion “anti weaponization fund.” The purpose of this fund is to compensate individuals who claim they were victims of “weaponized law enforcement”—a group that could include hundreds of people convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The episode examines the rationale behind the fund, the heated debate it has sparked in Washington, the reaction from police officers who defended the Capitol, and the steps they’re taking to stop these potential payouts.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is the Anti-Weaponization Fund?

• Announcement & Scope:
  • The Trump administration has created a fund from a $1.8 billion settlement intended to compensate those who believe they were unfairly targeted by federal law enforcement.
  • “Anyone who believes they were so called victims of ‘weaponized law enforcement’ can apply for this taxpayer funded compensation. And that includes the hundreds of people who assaulted police at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.” (Scott Detrow, 00:16)
• Eligibility:
  • The fund is open to people convicted or accused of attacking police officers on Jan. 6, decided on a case-by-case basis.

2. Justification and Defense from the Trump Administration

• Vice President J.D. Vance’s Comments:
  • Vance emphasizes that all claims will be evaluated individually and that the fund is meant to “correct a wrong.”
  • “If we think that somebody was unfairly prosecuted and deserves just compensation, then that’s what this fund is going to exist to provide … It’s just going to correct a wrong. And I think that’s a good thing.” (J.D. Vance, 00:48)

3. Political Blowback and Bipartisan Opposition

• Concerns from Republicans and Democrats:
  • Some congressional Republicans are joining Democrats in condemning the fund.
  • “I think it’s stupid on stilts…. Your taxpayer dollars and my taxpayer dollars could potentially compensate someone who assaulted a police officer, admitted their guilt, got convicted, got pardoned, and now we’re going to pay them for that.” (Senator Thom Tillis, 01:11, 01:18)

4. Police Officers’ Response: Outrage and Legal Action

• Lawsuit by Injured Officers:
  • D.C. police officers Daniel Hodges and Harry Dunn are suing the federal government to halt potential payouts to January 6th participants who assaulted law enforcement.
  • “By any reasonable metric. It doesn’t make any sense. Why would you pay people who attacked the police at the capital of the United States who tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power?” (Daniel Hodges, 04:05)
  • Concerns over recurrence of violence if perpetrators are financially rewarded:
    • “If they get this payout, then they’ll have significant financial resources and they have no ethical qualms about it. So what would stop them from carrying out any more violence?” (Daniel Hodges, 04:30)
• Representation:
  • Brendan Ballou, former federal prosecutor on Jan. 6 cases, calls it “the most corrupt single action in presidential history or is certainly up there.” (Tom Dreisbach paraphrasing, 04:40)

5. Perspective of January 6th Defendants

• Jake Lang—Convicted Rioter:
  • Lang, already released and pardoned, jokes about becoming a billionaire and is preparing his compensation application.
    • “Jake Lang’s office, America’s newest billionaire.” (Jake Lang, 05:06)
    • Claims that misdemeanor cases could net hundreds of thousands, while “cases like mine maybe looking at upwards of a million dollars.” (Jake Lang, 05:39)
  • Believes the fund is a reward for “patriotism” and “bravery”:
    • “If you sacrifice for your country… you will be rewarded for your bravery, for your patriotism, for your love of your country. And that’s the message President Trump is sending.” (Jake Lang, 05:51)
  • Lang reportedly still faces new criminal charges but expects the funds could help pay legal bills.

6. Justice Department’s Standpoint

• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche:
  • The administration isn’t excluding those convicted of assaulting law enforcement from applying for compensation, explaining that legal settlements are sometimes paid when someone’s rights are violated.
    • “Blanche said the government pays legal settlements if someone’s rights were violated. And even though violence against police is, quote, abhorrent, he said they’ll look case by case.” (Tom Dreisbach, 06:36)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Senator Thom Tillis (Republican, North Carolina):
  “I think it’s stupid on stilts.” (01:11)
• Officer Daniel Hodges:
  “By any reasonable metric. It doesn’t make any sense. Why would you pay people who attacked the police at the capital of the United States who tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power?” (04:05) “If they get this payout… what would stop them from carrying out any more violence?” (04:30)
• Jake Lang (Jan. 6 Defendant):
  “America’s newest billionaire.” (05:06, facetious) “If you sacrifice for your country… you will be rewarded for your bravery, for your patriotism, for your love of your country.” (05:51)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 01:32: Introduction, context, and on-the-record comments from White House (VP Vance) and Capitol Hill (Sen. Tillis)
• 03:07 – 06:49: Main segment with Tom Dreisbach: officers’ response, lawsuit, interviews with Daniel Hodges and Jake Lang, administration comments

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Conclusion

This episode provides a deep dive into the political, legal, and moral controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s “anti weaponization fund.” It highlights a rare alliance across party lines, a lawsuit initiated by Capitol police officers, and the celebratory reaction of some Jan. 6 defendants—all set against the specter of a government payout to those convicted of violently attacking the nation’s Capitol. The result is a portrait of an America still wrestling with the aftermath of January 6, the boundaries of justice, and the uses of executive power.

Transcript

[Scott Detrow]

It's consider this where every day we go deep on one big news story today, the new anti weaponization fund from the Trump Department of Justice, a pot of money worth almost $1.8 billion from a settlement between President Trump and the government he leads. Trump officials say anyone who believes they were so called victims of quote unquote weaponized law enforcement can apply for this taxpayer funded compensation. And that includes the hundreds of people who assaulted police at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

We do have people who were accused of attacking law enforcement officers. That doesn't mean that we're going to completely ignore some of the claims that they're going to make.

[Scott Detrow]

Vice President J.D. vance spoke to reporters from the White House earlier this week.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

We're going to evaluate these things on a case by case basis. And if we think that somebody, whatever they were accused of, if we think that somebody was unfairly prosecuted and deserves just compensation, then that's what this fund is going to exist to provide. It's just going to correct a wrong. And I think that's a good thing and I'd encourage.

[Scott Detrow]

But Democrats and a growing number of Republicans in Congress disagree.

[Senator Thom Tillis]

I think it's stupid on stilts.

[Scott Detrow]

Thom Tillis is a Republican senator from North Carolina. He spoke to Spectrum News at the Capitol.

[Senator Thom Tillis]

Your taxpayer dollars and my taxpayer dollars could potentially compensate someone who assaulted a police officer, admitted their guilt, got convicted, got pardoned, and now we're going to pay them for that.

[Scott Detrow]

Consider this January 6th. Defendants may go from prison to a payday. Can the police officers who defended the Capitol stop them? From npr, I'm Scott Detrow.

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[Scott Detrow]

It's consider this from NPR. The Trump administration says that January 6th defendants who assaulted police may be eligible for compensation. So the Justice Department is rolling out its $1.8 billion quote, anti weaponization fund. Rioters already pardoned are already celebrating. But two of the 140 cops who were injured that day at the Capitol are suing to prevent the payouts. NPR investigative correspondent Tom Dreisbach broke it all down for us.

[Tom Dreisbach]

D.C. police officer Daniel Hodges was repeatedly assaulted on January 6th. Rioters punched, kicked and hit him with a stolen police baton and crushed him inside a door frame. Blood dripped out of his mouth as he cried for help. Now the Trump administration says that the people convicted of assaulting him may not just deserve pardons, they can also apply for taxpayer funds from the new anti weaponization fund. Hodges calls that a travesty.

[Police Officer Daniel Hodges]

By any reasonable metric. It doesn't make any sense. Why would you pay people who attacked the police at the capital of the United States who tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power?

[Tom Dreisbach]

Hodges and another police officer who defended the Capitol, Harry Dunn, are now suing the federal government to try to stop payouts to the rioters. Pardons already restored many of the rioters gun rights. Now they may get money too.

[Police Officer Daniel Hodges]

If they get this payout, then they'll have significant financial resources and they have no ethical qualms about it. So what would stop them from carrying out any more violence?

[Tom Dreisbach]

Hodges and Dunn are represented in the lawsuit by Brendan Ballou. He's a former federal prosecutor who worked on January 6th cases and he now leads a group called the Public Integrity Project. I think it might be the most corrupt single action in presidential history or is certainly up there. At the Same time, former January 6th defendants are getting their applications ready. Like Jake Lang. Here's how he answered the phone when I called him.

[Jake Lang]

Jake Lang's office, America's newest billionaire.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Back on January 6, he attacked police officers with a baseball bat.

[Police Officer Daniel Hodges]

This is our house. This is our house.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Lang argues he was justified because he believes the 2020 election was stolen. And since Trump released him from jail, he's become known as a white power activist and provocateur. Anti immigrant, anti Muslim and anti Semitic. He's been caught on camera shouting the N word. Lang was exaggerating about becoming a billionaire. But he does expect January 6th defendants to get big checks.

[Jake Lang]

The misdemeanor cases should be looking to receive several hundred thousand dollars. And some of the cases like mine maybe looking at upwards of a million dollars.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Lang says the money sends a message.

[Jake Lang]

If you sacrifice for your country, if you do the right thing in the face of evil, you will be rewarded for your bravery, for your patriotism, for your love of your country. And that's the message President Trump is sending.

[Tom Dreisbach]

That money could also go toward his new legal bills. Lang is currently facing criminal charges in both Minnesota for alleged property damage and Washington, D.C. for allegedly threatening a police officer. He says he did nothing wrong. Trump administration officials say they are not ruling out payments to people like Lang, people charged or convicted of assaulting police. And CNN asked Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about that.

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Would you be okay with people who were convicted of hurting police getting taxpayer money?

[Senator Thom Tillis]

Just to be clear, people that hurt

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

police get money all the time.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Blanche said the government pays legal settlements if someone's rights were violated. And even though violence against police is, quote, abhorrent, he said they'll look case by case. Tom Dreisbach, NPR News.

[Scott Detrow]

This episode was produced by Monica Estatieva and Alejandro Marquez Hanze with audio engineering by Tiffany Vera Castro. It was edited by Barry Hardiman and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigun. It's consider this from npr, I'm Scott Detrow.

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