Five years after a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol to halt certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, a political battle has intensified over how January 6, 2021 should be remembered—and what it means going forward.
In “Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th,” Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick reconstructs the day minute-by-minute through accounts from lawmakers, police and participants, depicting a fast-moving breakdown of security that turned a rally into a violent breach of Congress.
The book — and extensive video evidence —documents officers being beaten, crushed and sprayed as lines collapsed, with more than 140 law-enforcement officers injured.
That record now collides with an increasingly organized effort by Trump allies to recast Jan. 6 as a protest that was “not as bad” as Democrats portray— or even as a largely peaceful event.
Variants of the “tourists” argument surfaced early among some Republicans and have persisted in conservative media, even as fact-checkers and court records note assaults, property destruction and forced entry into restricted areas.
Democrats and many Capitol Police officers argue that minimizing the violence erases the trauma endured by responders and understates the threat to the constitutional transfer of power. Jalonick’s narrative highlights communication failures and inadequate preparation despite warnings about potential violence, while also describing moments of institutional resilience — such as then–Vice President Mike Pence refusing to leave the Capitol complex as the breach unfolded.
The debate sharpened further after Trump returned to office and issued sweeping pardons and clemency for roughly 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, calling the prosecutions a “grave national injustice,” a move condemned by Democrats and many law-enforcement advocates as an endorsement of political violence.
Guest:
Mary Clare Jalonick is a reporter for the Associated Press covering Capitol Hill. She is the author of “Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th.”
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This episode will be recorded on Monday, January 20, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
