Today’s newsletter will include descriptions of violence and photos of those who were attacked on 1/6/21. I feel this is important to include to communicate the severity of the attack. Please take this in mind before continuing.

On this day 5 years ago, Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards reported to work for what had been a routine administrative procedure for 232 years of American history - the certification of the presidential election. Edwards was guarding the outermost perimeter as thousands of Trump supporters approached the capitol building, inspired by his rally where the president encouraged his supporters to show up at Congress to fight the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. Ryan Samsel pushed a bike barricade into Edwards, knocking her to the ground. Her skull fractured and she received permanent brain damage. She immediately lost consciousness. Edwards was the first of at least 140 police injured during the attack.

When Edwards regained consciousness, she quickly joined her colleagues’ defense of the capitol, despite being disoriented. Edwards testified that she was slipping in the blood of her fellow officers, some of whom were throwing up, covered in blood, or unable to physically stand after being attacked. Edwards spent the months after the attack confined to her bed, a result of the brain damage she received thanks to Donald Trump’s supporters.

Ryan Samsel, who had a long history of assaulting people, was convicted of assaulting police officers and obstruction.

This year Donald Trump pardoned Ryan Samsel and every other person who attacked Caroline Edwards.

We saw a terrorist attack on the United States Capitol. It was despicable. It was an assault on the citadel of democracy - Ted Cruz, before walking back these statements

On this day 5 years ago, Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges reported to work at the US Capitol. Hodges had never been inside the capitol before. During his first visit, Trump supporters first stole his radio. Steven Cappuccio stole Hodges’s police baton and attacked him with it. At one point, a Trump supporter placed their thumb in Hodges’s eye, attempting to gouge it out and permanently blind him. Hodges was eventually on the front line of officers trying to defend the entry tunnel on the West side from Trump’s supporters. They took the shields from the police there and started attacking them with them. Multiple police officers in that tunnel received severe injuries from Trump’s supporters, including an officer injured by an electric cattle prod. One of the rioters tore off Hodges’s helmet as Hodges was pinned against the door frame. Trump’s mob continued to attack Hodges as he pleaded for his life, certain he was going to die in that hallway.

Steven Cappuccio was sentenced to 7 years for attacking Officer Hodges. Patrick McCaughey was sentenced to 7 and a half years, also for assaulting Hodges.

This year Donald Trump pardoned Cappucio, McCaughey and every other person who was trying to kill Daniel Hodges.

The President bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding. - Kevin McCarthy before reversing positions

On this day 5 years ago, Aquilino Gonell reported to work with the Capitol Hill Police. Gonell is a combat veteran, serving in the Iraq War. Trump’s rioters threatened to kill Gonell if he attempted to stop them. Like Hodges, Gonell was crushed by the attackers after being physically assaulted and pepper sprayed. He spent hours fighting off the mob the president had sent to the capitol. Gonell also thought he was going to die. He was bitten and attacked with a flag pole, a baseball bat, and his own baton. Gonell has permanent injuries from the attack, including a metal plate in his foot. He had to retire from police work as his injuries have left him unable to complete physical qualifications for the job.

Kyle Fitzsimons was convicted of 7 felonies for assaulting Gonell and sentenced to 87 months in prison.

This year Donald Trump pardoned Fitzsimons along with every person who tried to kill Aqulino Gonell.

There's no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day - Mitch McConnell

On this day 5 years ago, US Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman arrived to work security for the certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory. Like Gonell, Goodman was a combat veteran of the Iraq War. Goodman was miraculously not injured that day, but he was chased by a large group of the attackers Trump sent to the capitol. The group reached an intersection at the top of a staircase. They had a straight and unobstructed path to the floor of the Senate. Goodman managed to keep the mob chasing him and led them in the opposite direction. Goodman received multiple medals for his heroism that day.

This year Donald Trump pardoned every single person Goodman led away from attacking the Senate.

The first thing that stands out to me is how embarrassed and disgusted I am that the United States Capitol could be taken over by domestic terrorists while we're in session, transferring power from one president to the other, that a band of people who are terrorists, not patriots, literally occupied the floor of the House, drove the Senate out of its chamber. - Lindsey Graham, before supporting Trump’s 2024 campaign

On this day 5 years ago, Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone was NOT yet scheduled to work at the capitol. After the attack started, Fanone headed there after hearing his colleagues begging for assistance on the radio. Trump’s mob viciously attacked Fanone outside of the building. Trump supporters dragged Fanone away from the safety of his fellow officers and began attacking him as a group. He was sprayed with chemical weapons. He was beaten with fists, clubs, and improvised weapons. They tore off his badge and took the ammunition off his belt. As Fanone pleaded for his life, one of Trump’s attackers told the crowd to take his gun and execute him with it. Fanone was burnt. He had a concussion. He was tased. He has brain damage from the attack. And he suffered a heart attack as Trump’s supporters beat him nearly to death. Fanone was hospitalized and spent 8 months recovering from the physical injuries Trump’s mob inflicted on him.

Daniel Rodriguez was sentenced to 12 years for tasing Fanone. Albuquerque Head was sentenced to 7 years after dragging Fanone into the crowd and encouraging his fellow Trump voters to beat Fanone. Kyle Young held Fanone’s arms so he could not defend himself as Rodriguez tased him. Young was sentenced to 7 years. Thomas Sibick stole Fanone’s radio and badge before attacking him. He received a 4 year sentence.

All four of the men convicted of nearly killing Michael Fanone were pardoned by Donald Trump at the beginning of this year.

Lies have consequences. This violence was the inevitable and ugly outcome of the President’s addiction to constantly stoking division... Today, the United States Capitol—the world’s greatest symbol of self-government—was ransacked while the President of the United States bragged about it - Ben Sasse

On this day 5 years ago, Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was on duty guarding the West side of the Capitol on what should have been a routine day. Two Trump supporters used chemical weapons against Officer Sicknick. He collapsed hours after the attack and died from multiple strokes the next day. The medical examiner found that the attack did not directly cause Sicknick’s death, but was a contributing factor.

Julian Elie Khater was sentenced to over 6 years for assaulting Officer Sicknick. George Pierre Tanios received a 10 month sentence for the attack.

Earlier this year, Donald Trump pardoned the men who contributed to Brian Sicknick’s death.

We have for too long indulged some of these groups as part of the conservative movement. These are not conservatives. These are wackos. These are nut jobs - Marco Rubio who now supports the pardons of the people he condemned

This is a small sampling of the violence and pain Donald Trump unleashed on January 6th. That he was never brought to justice is a scathing indictment of United States institutions.

This morning, on the 5th anniversary of the attack, Donald Trump’s White House launched a 1/6 site. He blames Democrats for the attack because they certified the election he is still lying about winning. He accused the officer who shot Ashli Babbitt, who was killed crawling through a broken window on a door to the secure area Congress was cowering in fear, of MURDER. The actual White House website is accusing a man of murder who shot someone while defending the House of Representatives from an attack by Trump supporters. Donald Trump has been lying about the 1/6 attack since it was still ongoing. Now that he’s the president, the US government is lying about the attack as well.

Republicans now downplay that day. They do not want people to remember what happened. They do not want people associating what happened with their party. And most of all, they do not want to accept any responsibility whatsoever for what they unleashed in Donald Trump.

Do not let them. There are thousands of pictures and videos of what happened that day - thousands of examples of the violence inspired by Donald Trump. A Trump voter I know said in the aftermath there was no way to see what was coming. This is not true. I showed him an article I had written in 2017 before his inauguration detailing all the numerous times Trump had called for political violence. People were predicting violence on 1/6 months before it happened. We knew exactly who and what he was.

But truth is inconvenient for the Republican Party now. I am by no means qualified to address the flood of disinformation and lies coming from the right about that day but I know the major component to combat lies is truth.

And the truth is that 5 years ago today, Donald Trump inspired a massive domestic terrorist attack against the United States government with the goal of retaining power.

Do not ever forget this day or the numerous men and women who risked their lives defending the country against the viciousness of Donald Trump and his supporters.