Five Years After January 6, Political Divide Deepens as Democrats Revisit Findings and Pardoned Rioters Plan March

Five years after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, Democrats and Republicans are marking the anniversary in sharply different ways — reflecting a political divide that continues to deepen.

On Tuesday, former members of the January 6 select committee are holding what’s being described as an unofficial hearing to revisit their investigation and findings. The committee’s final report concluded that President Donald Trump incited the violence at the Capitol, and Democrats say the anniversary is a chance to resurface documentation and video evidence they believe still matters to the public record.

At the same time, far-right Proud Boys members and other supporters are expected to hold a march to the Capitol that organizers describe as “patriotic and peaceful.” The event underscores how the day has produced dueling narratives — with many Democrats calling it a painful warning about threats to democracy, while Trump and many Republicans minimize the violence or recast the events.

The anniversary also renews attention on the still-uninstalled plaque meant to honor US Capitol Police officers who defended the complex that day. Federal law required it to be installed by 2023, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has not hung it. His office has said the law authorizing the plaque is “not implementable,” while Democrats have displayed poster copies outside their offices.

Democrats’ event is expected to highlight new allegations that some people pardoned for January 6-related offenses have since faced other criminal accusations, and to spotlight how some officials who promoted false claims about the 2020 election now hold influential roles across government.

The Justice Department’s January 6 investigation was the largest in US history, charging nearly 1,600 people and securing more than 1,200 convictions before cases ended abruptly when Trump issued broad clemency on January 20, 2025. Former prosecutors interviewed by CNN described the move as a gut punch after years of work.

Five years on, the anniversary reflects a broader struggle over memory, accountability, and political power — with Democrats trying to keep the focus on evidence and consequences, and Trump allies portraying those charged as victims of government overreach.

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