Donald Trump isn’t just planning to pardon his supporters who ransacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6—he’s also asking them to shape his administration.
The president-elect has apparently included one January 6 rioter—Pete Marocco—in his transition team, Politico reported Monday. Marocco, a conservative activist, does come with extensive Trumpworld experience: He wore several hats during Trump’s last administration and had stints at the Defense, State, and Commerce departments, as well as USAID. His new role on Trump’s transition team focuses on national security personnel matters, according to three unidentified sources who spoke with the outlet.
Last month, the sleuth organization Sedition Hunters spotted Marocco and his wife in footage from inside and outside the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 riot. An anonymous member of the group claimed that they had become aware of Marocco’s participation in early 2023 and had subsequently tipped off the FBI. Marocco has not been charged with a crime.
In an interview with D magazine, Marocco refused to directly acknowledge the allegations that he was present at the Capitol building during the riot.
“Petty smear tactics and desperate personal attacks by politicians with no solutions have no bearing on the urgency of voting in these charter amendments from 170,000 Dallas citizens for more accountability and public safety,” Marocco told the Dallas-area publication. “Our commitment to strengthening our city through the will of the people is resolute.”
In a statement, Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that Marocco’s “valuable knowledge” on national security matters has been a “tremendous benefit to the Trump-Vance transition effort.”
“Democrats and their allies in the media who think they are going to obstruct our ability to deliver on this mandate by going back to the same January 6 playbook of smears and faux outrage that was soundly rejected by the American people will be disappointed,” Leavitt added.
