Olympic swimmer Klete Keller expressed ‘regret’ and ‘relief’ after being pardoned by new U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday for his actions on January 6, 2021.
Keller, now 42, was among more than 1,500 people charged with who had their records swept clean when President Trump pardoned, commuted prison sentences, and/or dropped charges for any and all crimes related to the January 6 insurrection into the White House.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Keller described his emotion after finding out that he would be pardoned.
“It didn’t feel real. And waking up this morning, I was like: ‘My gosh. Wow, this is over. I don’t have to check in with my probation officer anymore,’” Keller said. “It’s just such an amazing feeling of relief.”
Keller pleaded guilty to a single count of obstructing an official proceeding, with prosecutors saying that he resisted police efforts to remove him from the Capitol as part of a large group of people. Video footage showed him in the Capitol Rotunda, sometimes as a passive spectator, and sometimes participating in profane chants toward then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“I know my actions really angered and caused hurt to millions of Americans,” he said Tuesday in his first interview since his arrest. “I told this to the judge, and I meant it. I acted without thinking. I didn’t pause and take time to reflect.”
Keller, unlike many prosecuted for their actions of that day, stood by the remorse he expressed in the court room after being pardoned.
“I really regret the actions I took that day. I love this country,” he said. “I’m just so grateful that I have the opportunity now to move forward.”
He said that the was in a “very emotional, dark place during that period” and got caught up in the excitement of the moment.
Prosecutors sought a 10-month prison sentence, but ultimately a federal judge placed him under six months of home detention and three years of probation. He received credit for his cooperation with prosecutors.
Shortly after Keller’s role in the events of January 6 were revealed, the real estate agency Hoff and Leigh said he was “no longer with the company” and had resigned.
“Hoff & Leigh supports the right of free speech and lawful protest,” the company wrote. “But we cannot condone actions that violate the rule of law.” Sometime thereafter, though, he returned to the company, and his bio currently appears on the website listing him as a broker associate.
In August 2024, Keller was credited with performing a life saving rescue while on his honeymoon in Florida.
Keller and his wife, Lindsey, were on a rented pontoon at Choctawhatchee Bay when they saw a jet skier launched into the air about 100 yards away. Another jet skier signaled for help, so they got closer and realized the teenage boy was facedown, motionless.
Keller jumped off the boat, swam to the victim, and started giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while treading water.
Keller is a five-time Olympic medalist, winning two golds and a silver as part of the U.S. 800 free relays in 2000, 2004, and 2008; he also picked up back-to-back individual bronze medals in the 400 free in Sydney and Athens.
Keller grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and swam collegiately at USC, where he was a four-time NCAA Champion.
Keller was one of the most high profile of those charged in connection to the events of January 6, standing out above the crowd at 6’6″ and wearing his Team USA Olympic jacket. Among those pardoned were people found guilty of violent attacks on police and leaders of extremist groups that were convicted of plotting to keep Trump in power after losing the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden.
This would have been a great article to post with the comments turned off.
Remember about 20 years ago when Cheeto was a reality gameshow host and the USA was fairly normal? I miss that time….. I often wonder what Klete’s sister thinks of his Capital Storming. And who was the first person to mix chocolate and peanut butter… Where does space end? Did I leave the iron on?
As expected the usual indigent knee jerk comments from hyper partisans. Has anyone here ever considered that most of this is manufactured, part of an act to manipulate the masses ?
Those homers who cling on to the Blue vs Red, left vs right, D vs R are 20 yrs behind the curve. After five years of constant psyops one would think that the average level headed individual would have figured out that the battle is against the elites (governments and big corps) not average joes pitted against each other.
I have an internal conflict. While the acts of January 6th still make me angry, I’m able to forgive those who contributed to it (especially those who agree that it went too far). I appreciate that Klete says he was caught up in the moment and wasn’t thinking. We’ve all done it, Klete. Great article.
Question to consider: What would’ve happened had the mob got ahold of Mike Pence?
Forgiveness is different from pardoning those in the face of repercussions.
You can forgive someone internally and still believe it is unjust to let them off because they’re “on the right team”.
Don’t get political on swimswam dot com don’t get political on swimswam dot com don’t get political on swimswam dot com don’t
OK FINE although many of the executive orders are not feasibly enforceable the rhetoric they push is extremely concerning, particularly the gender ideology exec. order (literally policing language) and the death penalty exec. order (harsher punishments for immigrants, legal or not, is just straight up racism)
Ok i got carried away this doesn’t even have anything to do with the article
I mean does Trump even understand the term “intersex”.
Changing the name of a mountain in Alaska— against the wishes of everybody in Alaska— to pwn WOKE Obama and stroke his own ego is pretty much the epitome of what the executive orders were.
Reading through them was some kind of torture.
Everyone complaining on here and rotating through various temper tantrums only have one person to blame..Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. If JB had run his presidency as he should have, we probably woudn’t be in this predicament. Instead of leadership, we got 4 years of essentially trying to stick it to Trump, and alienating so many Americans, that there was no viable way to build a base for a 2nd term (or a term for Harris). JB should have pardoned Trump day 1, and this problem likely would have gone away. Instead it was full speed ahead on trying to nail Trump to the wall. With each investigation and indictment, all the Democrats did is make him stronger. That… Read more »
Take off the red hat already
Just pragmatic. I don’t align with any of those idiots in DC. Or just keep on keeping on, and lose again.
you mean the tin foil hat?
I’m a MAGA hot wearer and have been proud of it. The gentleman above is 100% correct on sleepy Joe. It was easy to see that Biden was not a “doer” for the USA, and that his sidekick Harris, was not going to do what needed to be done. She was really good though at talking gibberish. It got so bad, that I was begging to have Clinton back in office…
Make America Great Again!
Strong blaming the victim vibes.
Say whatever you want to make yourself feel better. Dems better get their act together, or they are going to lose again in 2028.
If you read through Trump’s campaign promised, you would have seen that they ALL mentioned radical leftists, sticking it to the dems, and reversing all of the Biden administration’s policy simply for the fact that he’s a “radical leftist”.
The Harris Campaign was awful, but none of what you said rings as independent-thinking.
As expected, a measured and well informed comments section
Let’s just pretend all the charges, accusations and impeachments of Trump are unfounded and politically motivated. The guy has been irrefutably documented of making fun of disabled people, accusing all schools of indoctrinating students, asking Georgia to find 11,000 more votes, denying 2020 election results, pardoning people that assault police, demeaning women, performs lewd acts on a microphone, spreads Covid and Obama citizenship misinformation to name a FEW.
Biden and Harris were by no means perfect, but can someone please intelligently explain this blind devotion to me?
He likes the poorly educated
I have always found faults with everyone I have ever voted for. I have been receptive to those that have differing opinions from myself. I never envision myself having bumper stickers and/or flags of any politician because I think the stars and stripes supercede any individual. I truly want to hear from MAGA. Please help me understand. Can there ever be anything that will force MAGA to at least question Trump? If so, what will it take? Or is the obedience blind and unwaivering?
He’s on record in 1996 as saying if he ran for president it would be as a Republican because he can make those voters believe anything.