Last year, as racial justice protests exploded across the country, then President Donald Trump suggested looters and rioters should be shot. But those who ransacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 are different, according to his logic. In a statement on Thursday, the former president said the accused insurrectionists were “being persecuted so unfairly,” adding that “our hearts and minds” are with them.

“In addition to everything else, it has proven conclusively that we are a two-tiered system of justice,” wrote Trump. “In the end, however, JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!” A “Justice for J6” rally is planned this weekend, although Trump has reportedly stayed away from supporting it publicly because he thinks it’s a “setup” designed to damage his stellar reputation.