Donald Trump used Hunter Biden’s pardon to drop one of his strongest hints yet that he was at least some of the instigators and participants in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob seeking to overturn his 2020 election defeat , wants to grant mercy.

“Does the pardon granted by Joe Hunter extend to the J-6 hostages who have been imprisoned for years now? Such an abuse and miscarriage of justice!” The US President-elect posted on his Truth Social platform.

It was the latest in a series of supportive comments from Trump on behalf of those convicted for their involvement in the attack, which led to the deaths of five people at the time. In addition, four police officers who tried to repel the rioters killed themselves in the days and months after the attack.

Now the pardon of his son by incumbent President Joe Biden appears to have been taken by Trump as a new justification.

The 2021 attack sparked one of the largest criminal investigations in U.S. history and led to federal charges being filed against nearly 1,500 people. Around 1,000 were either found guilty or pleaded guilty.

The investigation is ongoing. The FBI announced last month that it was seeking nine people in connection with violent attacks on police officers that day.

Despite the seriousness of the crimes, Trump has been publicly pushing for months to stand up for the detainees, whom he describes as “hostages” and “political prisoners.”

In March, he wrote that one of his first acts if re-elected would be to “free the unlawfully detained hostages of January 6th!”

He has repeated that vow several times, including during an appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists in July when he was asked whether he would grant a pardon.

“Oh, I definitely would. If they are innocent, I would pardon them,” he said.

But he failed to promise a blanket pardon. “I can’t say for each individual because some of them probably got out of control,” he told CNN.

Some of the convicts who received the longest sentences did not participate in the violence at the Capitol but were convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges related to organizing the attack. They include Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, a far-right militia group, and Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, described as a neo-fascist organization that promotes political violence.

Whatever distinctions Trump and his campaign have in mind, there is no doubt that many incarcerated people have high hopes for an early pardon.

Lawyers for Joe Biggs, a Proud Boys member who was sentenced to 17 years in prison last year after being convicted of a range of crimes, including seditious conspiracy and intimidating or threatening to interfere with public officials in the performance of their duties prevented, have stated that they would apply for a pardon.

Biggs claimed at his trial that he was following Trump’s orders.

Lawyers for several of the convicts have tried unsuccessfully to delay sentencing hearings since Trump won the presidential election last month, saying there may be a threat of clemency.

At least one of the detainees has little doubt about the prospect of imminent freedom.

The BBC reported that Jake Lang, who is accused of multiple crimes including assaulting police officers, posted a celebratory post on social media following Trump’s election victory.

“COMING HOME!!!!” he wrote. “The political prisoners from January 6th are finally coming home!!!!”