
























































Trump compares jailed Capitol rioters to Japanese internment during World War II | AP News














































































































































































































































































































































































































































Menu







Menu




World




U.S.




Politics




Sports




Entertainment




Business




Science




Fact Check




Oddities




Be Well




Newsletters




Newsletters



AP News Alerts
Keep your pulse on the news with breaking news alerts from The AP.




The Morning Wire
Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.




Ground Game
Exclusive insights and key stories from the world of politics.




Beyond the Story
Executive Editor Julie Pace brings you behind the scenes of the AP newsroom.




AP Entertainment Wire
Get AP's first personalized newsletter delivering you entertainment news twice a week.




AP Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll Alerts
Women's college basketball poll alerts and updates.



See All Newsletters








Photography 




AP Investigations




Climate




SECTIONS

Indigenous peoples and climate
Climate Questions
Climate Migration 
India Focus



TOP STORIES


Many Senegalese seek to tap the power of animals by wearing them. Lions pay a heavy price


Brazil to join OPEC+, group of major oil-exporting nations


How better water systems can help a city survive the next firestorm










Health




TOP STORIES


Vatican authorities say the pope now has pneumonia in both lungs. How worrying is that?


Trump has signed an executive order on IVF. Here's what you should know about the procedure


Layoffs hit many at CDC lab program that was started to address previous failures


More adults are wondering if they have autism. Here are tips to seek a diagnosis


This Valentine's Day, consider what all types of love bring to your life


How to deal with fresh health insurance deductibles in the new year










Tech




SECTIONS

Artificial Intelligence
Social Media



TOP STORIES


Apple unveils a souped-up and more expensive version of its lowest priced iPhone


Google agrees to pay Italy $340 million to settle a tax evasion investigation


Troubled electric vehicle maker Nikola files for bankruptcy protection










Lifestyle




SECTIONS

Food & Recipes
Gardening
Homes
Travel
Fashion
Pets



TOP STORIES


Apple unveils a souped-up and more expensive version of its lowest priced iPhone


No pain, no gain? Hardly. This year's fitness buzzword is 'recovery'


Learn a few laundry secrets from the baseball pros — the clubhouse staffers who wash MLB uniforms










Religion




TOP STORIES


Middle East latest: Netanyahu appoints an adviser with Trump ties to lead ceasefire talks


Italy PM Meloni visits pope in hospital, says he's in good spirits as tests show slight improvement


Thousands of Palestinian families flee West Bank homes as Israel confronts militants




Newsletters



World of Faithtest
Comprehensive global coverage of how religion shapes our world.



See All Newsletters








Español




TOP STORIES


Administración de Trump califica de organizaciones terroristas a ocho cárteles latinoamericanos


Trump advierte a Zelenskyy que debe negociar rápidamente el fin de la guerra con Rusia


Asesor de Zelenskyy dice que EEUU renunció a  papel en la guerra, fortaleciendo a Rusia.


El papa Francisco tiene neumonía en ambos pulmones. ¿Qué tan preocupante es?


La próxima ola de tormentas del invierno estadounidense apunta a la costa este










Quizzes




Press Releases




My Account





...







World







Mideast Wars
    



Russia-Ukraine War
    



Español
        






China
    



Asia Pacific
    



Latin America
    



Europe
    



Africa
    



Australia
    



Middle East
    



Global Elections
        









U.S.





Politics







Trump cabinet confirmation tracker
        






White House
    



Congress
    



U.S. Supreme Court
    



Trump’s presidential promises
        






2025 Election Calendar
        









Sports







NBA
    



NHL
    



Men’s College Basketball
    



Men’s Top 25
    



Women’s College Basketball
    



Women’s Top 25
    



MLB
    



NFL
    



Auto Racing
    



Soccer
    






Entertainment







Movie Reviews
    



What to Stream
    



Television
    



Book Reviews
    



Music
    



Celebrity Interviews
    






Business







Inflation
    



Financial Markets
    



Financial Wellness
    



Technology
    






Science







Space
    



Animals
    



The Ancient World
    



Climate
    



Medicine
    






Fact Check





Oddities





Be Well





Newsletters





Photography 







2024 YEAR END PHOTOS
    



Photo Essays
    



Photography 
    






AP Investigations





Climate







Indigenous peoples and climate




Climate Questions
    



Climate Migration 
    



India Focus
    






Health





Tech







Artificial Intelligence
    



Social Media
    






Lifestyle







Food & Recipes
    



Gardening
    



Homes
    



Travel
    



Fashion
    



Pets
    






Religion





Español





Quizzes





Press Releases





My Account
















                Search Query
            





Submit Search








            Show Search
        















Submit Search










World











Mideast Wars
    



Russia-Ukraine War
    



Español
        






China
    



Asia Pacific
    



Latin America
    



Europe
    



Africa
    



Australia
    



Middle East
    



Global Elections
        









SECTIONS

Mideast Wars
Russia-Ukraine War
Español
China
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Europe
Africa











U.S.








Politics











Trump cabinet confirmation tracker
        






White House
    



Congress
    



U.S. Supreme Court
    



Trump’s presidential promises
        






2025 Election Calendar
        









SECTIONS

Trump cabinet confirmation tracker
White House
Congress
U.S. Supreme Court
Trump’s presidential promises
2025 Election Calendar











Sports











NBA
    



NHL
    



Men’s College Basketball
    



Men’s Top 25
    



Women’s College Basketball
    



Women’s Top 25
    



MLB
    



NFL
    



Auto Racing
    



Soccer
    






SECTIONS

NBA
NHL
Men’s College Basketball
Men’s Top 25
Women’s College Basketball
Women’s Top 25
MLB
NFL











Entertainment











Movie Reviews
    



What to Stream
    



Television
    



Book Reviews
    



Music
    



Celebrity Interviews
    






SECTIONS

Movie Reviews
What to Stream
Television
Book Reviews
Music
Celebrity Interviews











Business











Inflation
    



Financial Markets
    



Financial Wellness
    



Technology
    






SECTIONS

Inflation
Financial Markets
Financial Wellness
Technology











Science











Space
    



Animals
    



The Ancient World
    



Climate
    



Medicine
    






SECTIONS

Space
Animals
The Ancient World
Climate
Medicine











Fact Check








Oddities








Be Well








Newsletters









Newsletters



AP News Alerts
Keep your pulse on the news with breaking news alerts from The AP.




The Morning Wire
Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.




Ground Game
Exclusive insights and key stories from the world of politics.




Beyond the Story
Executive Editor Julie Pace brings you behind the scenes of the AP newsroom.




AP Entertainment Wire
Get AP's first personalized newsletter delivering you entertainment news twice a week.




AP Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll Alerts
Women's college basketball poll alerts and updates.



See All Newsletters











Photography 











2024 YEAR END PHOTOS
    



Photo Essays
    



Photography 
    






SECTIONS

2024 YEAR END PHOTOS
Photo Essays
Photography 











AP Investigations








Climate











Indigenous peoples and climate




Climate Questions
    



Climate Migration 
    



India Focus
    






SECTIONS

Indigenous peoples and climate
Climate Questions
Climate Migration 
India Focus



TOP STORIES


Many Senegalese seek to tap the power of animals by wearing them. Lions pay a heavy price


Brazil to join OPEC+, group of major oil-exporting nations


How better water systems can help a city survive the next firestorm












Health









TOP STORIES


Vatican authorities say the pope now has pneumonia in both lungs. How worrying is that?


Trump has signed an executive order on IVF. Here's what you should know about the procedure


Layoffs hit many at CDC lab program that was started to address previous failures


More adults are wondering if they have autism. Here are tips to seek a diagnosis


This Valentine's Day, consider what all types of love bring to your life


How to deal with fresh health insurance deductibles in the new year












Tech











Artificial Intelligence
    



Social Media
    






SECTIONS

Artificial Intelligence
Social Media



TOP STORIES


Apple unveils a souped-up and more expensive version of its lowest priced iPhone


Google agrees to pay Italy $340 million to settle a tax evasion investigation


Troubled electric vehicle maker Nikola files for bankruptcy protection












Lifestyle











Food & Recipes
    



Gardening
    



Homes
    



Travel
    



Fashion
    



Pets
    






SECTIONS

Food & Recipes
Gardening
Homes
Travel
Fashion
Pets



TOP STORIES


Apple unveils a souped-up and more expensive version of its lowest priced iPhone


No pain, no gain? Hardly. This year's fitness buzzword is 'recovery'


Learn a few laundry secrets from the baseball pros — the clubhouse staffers who wash MLB uniforms












Religion









TOP STORIES


Middle East latest: Netanyahu appoints an adviser with Trump ties to lead ceasefire talks


Italy PM Meloni visits pope in hospital, says he's in good spirits as tests show slight improvement


Thousands of Palestinian families flee West Bank homes as Israel confronts militants




Newsletters



World of Faithtest
Comprehensive global coverage of how religion shapes our world.



See All Newsletters










Español









TOP STORIES


Administración de Trump califica de organizaciones terroristas a ocho cárteles latinoamericanos


Trump advierte a Zelenskyy que debe negociar rápidamente el fin de la guerra con Rusia


Asesor de Zelenskyy dice que EEUU renunció a  papel en la guerra, fortaleciendo a Rusia.


El papa Francisco tiene neumonía en ambos pulmones. ¿Qué tan preocupante es?


La próxima ola de tormentas del invierno estadounidense apunta a la costa este












Quizzes








Press Releases








My Account


















The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.















        twitter
    









        instagram
    









        facebook
    










The Associated Press




ap.org
        






Careers
        






Advertise with us
        






Contact Us
    



Accessibility Statement
    



Terms of Use
    



Privacy Policy
    


Cookie Settings



Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
        






Limit Use and Disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information
        






CA Notice of Collection
        













More From AP News











About
        






AP News Values and Principles
        






AP’s Role in Elections
        






AP Leads
        






AP Definitive Source Blog
        






AP Images Spotlight Blog
        






AP Stylebook
        









SECTIONS

About
AP News Values and Principles
AP’s Role in Elections
AP Leads
AP Definitive Source Blog
AP Images Spotlight Blog
AP Stylebook













Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.





















Politics
Trump compares jailed Capitol rioters to Japanese internment during World War II





Trump compares jailed Capitol rioters to Japanese internment during World War II
























1 of 2 | 
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a Univision town hall, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Read More


























2 of 2 | 
FILE - People attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
Read More


















            By 
            ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON



 




Share



                    Share
                    









Copy
Link copied









        Email
    


 





Facebook






X








Reddit





LinkedIn





Pinterest






Flipboard








        Print
    















Former President Donald Trump on Friday compared the people jailed on charges that they stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to the more than 120,000 people of Japanese origin incarcerated on U.S. soil during World War II.“Why are they still being held? Nobody’s ever been treated like this,” he said in an interview with conservative commentator Dan Bongino. “Maybe the Japanese during Second World War, frankly. They were held, too.”The GOP presidential nominee has consistently tried to play down the storming of the Capitol by his supporters who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss, portraying it earlier this week as a “day of love.” About 140 officers were injured that day, making it likely the largest assault of American law enforcement in a single day. Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by police.Trump has previously said the rioters have been “horribly treated” and has referred to those still jailed as “hostages” and “victims,” repeatedly calling for their release and suggesting he would pardon them if re-elected.

Trump’s Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday accused him of gaslighting the public regarding Jan. 6.







More election coverage 



















Arizona’s Democratic governor faces uphill battle as Republicans control Legislature





 





















Biden says he’s leaving Trump with a ‘strong hand to play’ in world conflicts





 





















West Virginia’s conservative shift could sharpen under its new governor





 










The federal government incarcerated an estimated 120,000 people with Japanese ancestry, including U.S. citizens, following a February 1942 order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A 1983 congressional commission concluded the detentions were a result of “racial prejudice, war hysteria and failure of political leadership,” and the U.S. government formally apologized and paid $20,000 in reparations to each victim five years later.












“Japanese Americans are not and should not be compared to insurrectionists who committed major crimes and in which people were hurt and killed,” said Sharon Yamato, the daughter of former Japanese Americans who were incarcerated. “And I think that that is just so horrible to try to even make that comparison or allege that there’s any similarities between the two.”

Trump claimed the Jan. 6 defendants “won in the Supreme Court,” referring to a ruling from this past June that limited a federal obstruction law that had been used to charge hundreds of Capitol riot defendants as well as the former president himself.The Supreme Court opinion that Trump claims should have freed the rioters was authored by Chief Justice John Roberts. In a 6-3 ruling, the high court held that the charge of obstructing an official proceeding must include proof that defendants tried to tamper with or destroy documents. But the overwhelming majority of the approximately 1,000 people who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to Capitol riot-related federal crimes were never charged with obstruction and will not be affected by the outcome. Trump also was charged under that statute by special counsel Jack Smith’s team, which has also said the ruling should not have any bearing on its prosecution of Trump on charges that he plotted to overturn the 2020 election.Trump has maintained that he only encouraged supporters to protest “peacefully.” In a speech on the White House Ellipse that morning, Trump told the crowds to march “peacefully and patriotically” to the Capitol. But he also used far more incendiary language when speaking off the cuff. He said “We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”___Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington and Akira Kumamoto in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
















ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON


                Gomez Licon writes about national politics for The Associated Press. She is based in Florida.
            








        twitter
    








        mailto
    
























                    Most read
                























Trump administration gives schools a deadline to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money










A deeper look at the talks between US and Russian officials as Trump suggests Ukraine is to blame










Russia and US agree to work toward ending Ukraine war in a remarkable diplomatic shift










A$AP Rocky dives into Rihanna’s arms as not guilty verdict is read at felony assault trial










White House says Elon Musk is not in charge at DOGE, but is advising the president





























The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.












The Associated Press




ap.org
        






Careers
        






Advertise with us
        






Contact Us
    



Accessibility Statement
    



Terms of Use
    



Privacy Policy
    


Cookie Settings



Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
        






Limit Use and Disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information
        






CA Notice of Collection
        










More From AP News




About
        






AP News Values and Principles
        






AP’s Role in Elections
        






AP Leads
        






AP Definitive Source Blog
        






AP Images Spotlight Blog
        






AP Stylebook
        

















Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.









        twitter
    









        instagram
    









        facebook
    














I would love to hear George Takei's take on this ... what an asshole - with no clue of what real people think