President Donald Trump, on his first day back in office, issued an executive order granting full pardons to nearly 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Among those pardoned were 97 Floridians, including 33 from the Tampa Bay area, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Robert Reeder, a Tampa Bay resident who served three months in federal prison for his role in the insurrection, expressed relief and optimism. “President Trump’s message of a new golden age for America really struck well with me,” Reeder said at an inauguration watch party in Clearwater. Reeder added that he now feels “more free to talk about things from that day.” The executive order also commuted sentences for high-profile defendants and halted pending prosecutions related to the Capitol attack. While over 1,000 cases have been adjudicated, this order also impacts roughly 300 ongoing prosecutions. The Jan. 6 insurrection resulted in more than 140 police officers being assaulted, five deaths within 36 hours, and $3 million in damages to the Capitol and surrounding grounds. Critics argue the pardons undermine accountability for the attack.