There was precedent. Carter blanket pardoned all the draft dodgers before many had been charged (and now couldn't be). Trump himself pardoned Steve Bannon who had only been charged with a crime, not yet tried or convicted.
Trump did nothing.
He hooked up Kwame Kilpatrick, Rod Blagojevich, and a whole slew of Wall Street crooks on his way out the door though.
It’s timing. The ball is still in play, and a pardon would have been used by the 1/6 Show Trial Committee as evidence against him.
Their suffering right now for him will be repaid at the right time.
McConnell told Trunp that he would be impeached in senate if he had pardoned the Jan 6th detainees.
As Trump wantes to keep open the option to run again, he agreed to McConnell’s threat.