Five years after a violent mob stormed the US Capitol, pardoned participants in the January 6 insurrection have marched back to the building, as the White House launches a startling campaign to rewrite the history of that day.
A 'Day of Love' Versus a Violent Reality
According to former and now-returned President Donald Trump, January 6, 2021, was a "day of love." This characterisation starkly contradicts the lived experience of the more than 140 law enforcement officers injured during the assault and the nine lives lost in connection with the events, including law enforcement suicides.
Live footage from the day showed Trump supporters smashing windows, beating police officers with flagpoles and makeshift weapons, and scrambling to breach the Capitol building in a desperate bid to overturn the 2020 presidential election result. Guardian writer Robert Reich labelled it "the most shameful day in American history."
Yet, on the fifth anniversary, the Trump White House has actively asked the public to disregard this evidence. It has launched a dedicated "J6" section on its official website, which describes the more than 1,500 people convicted for their roles that day as "peaceful patriotic protesters."
Orwellian Gaslighting and the 'Big Lie'
The administration's narrative, which reads as a blend of state propaganda and fan fiction, claims Capitol police escalated tensions and even invited attendees inside. It goes further, asserting that the certification of Joe Biden's legitimate election victory by Democrats constituted the "real insurrection."
"This distasteful, falsehood-filled page exemplifies the length this White House will go to continue to perpetrate the Big Lie of a stolen election," said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen. She condemned the move as "an Orwellian gaslighting of the American people."
This revisionism follows Trump's 2025 pardons for almost all January 6 convicts. Notably, according to Citizens for Ethics and Democracy, six of those pardoned have since been charged with child sex crimes, and two with rape.
Democrats Fight to Preserve the Truth
As the White House attempted to reshape public memory, Democratic lawmakers held an unofficial hearing to examine the attack's lasting effects and observed a moment of silence for the lives lost.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated, "Instead of holding those responsible for the attack accountable, Donald Trump and far-right extremists in Congress have repeatedly attempted to rewrite history and whitewash the horrific events of January 6. We will not let that happen."
Meanwhile, Trump himself made no direct mention of the anniversary on his Truth Social platform. Instead, he posted a photo of himself holding a red hat and made a baseless claim about a state governor stealing taxpayer funds, declaring "NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW!"—a statement that rings hollow amid his own administration's actions regarding the January 6 Capitol attack pardons and its open disregard for international norms.
