Americast (BBC News)

Episode: The Jan 6th Capitol riots five years on… Why America is still divided

Date: January 16, 2026
Hosts: Anthony Zurcher (Washington), Marianna Spring (London)
Featured:

• Audio from House Republican Rep. Troy Nels (18:10)
• Audio from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (21:42)

Episode Overview

Five years after the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, the political and social fallout continues to split America. This episode unpacks why the events of that day remain so fiercely debated and how the narrative has shifted and evolved, with both historical and real-time implications. The hosts examine the transformation of January 6th in public memory, the impact of social media, partisan reinterpretations, and the unresolved struggle over the event's legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Enduring Divisions: Why Are We Still Talking About Jan 6?

• [01:07] Anthony introduces the persistent debate:

  • Five years on, Congress remains deeply divided on what happened on Jan 6th.
  • Republicans have formed a new committee to “investigate the real story.”
  • The White House has created its own narrative page online.
  • The central question: “Why is Washington still debating the narrative of that day? And at this point, who's winning the argument?”
  • Quote:

    “It continues to cast a shadow over American politics.” — Anthony (02:27)

• [03:01] Marianna on digital landscapes:

  • Online perceptions mirror real-world division.
  • From immediate shock to competing realities:
    • Trump supporters deny it was a riot; conspiracy theories abound.
    • The left frames it as an existential threat to democracy.
  • Quote:

    “It’s like they are inhabiting completely different realities.” — Marianna (03:57)

2. Public Opinion: Polls and Shifting Sentiments

• [04:09] Anthony cites polling:

  • In 2021, over half of Republicans strongly disapproved of the attack; now, only 30% do.
  • Approval of the attack among Republicans has risen from 20% to 30%.
  • The national consensus (80% disapproval) is steady, but Republican views have shifted toward acceptance or minimization.

• [06:04] Marianna discusses semantic changes:

  • Trump’s pardoning of Jan 6th defendants reframes them as “J6 hostages.”
  • Right-wing support for pardons is rooted in the belief the 2020 election was stolen—despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
  • Quote:

    “They were referred to not as rioters, but as the… January 6th hostages… a complete language shift.” — Marianna (06:22)

• [07:10] Anthony describes Trump’s ongoing support for participants:

  • Trump uses rallies and media to frame defendants as “political prisoners.”
  • Trump’s presidency has seen almost all participants in the riot pardoned.

3. Disinformation, Social Media, and Partisan Media Ecosystems

• [08:30] Marianna notes both sides sling “conspiracy” labels:

  • The right accuses the left’s coup narrative of being a conspiracy, and vice versa.
  • Reality feels plural—everyone is “hunkered down” on their own team.
  • These divisions have “progressed up into the very top” of the political class.
  • Quote:

    “It feels like everyone is on their teams and sort of hunkered down and they've decided what they think.” — Marianna (08:48)

• [09:36] Anthony analyses White House messaging:

  • Some Republican figures describe the new White House J6 webpage as a “trap”—deliberate trolling to provoke the media.
  • Trump’s narrative: “Democrats staged the real insurrection.”
  • Social media amplifies both trolling and propaganda.

• [11:04] Marianna: Political “strategy” vs. sincere beliefs—blurring lines:

  • The omnipresence of echo chambers means that “it’s okay to just believe… whatever narrative you want.”

4. The Politics of Martyrdom and Memory

• [12:19] Anthony compares martyr creation post-Jan 6th:

  • Ashley Babbitt, killed by police during the riot, becomes a conservative martyr. She was posthumously given military honors and her family received a $5 million wrongful death settlement.
  • Now, other pardoned rioters are requesting compensation.

• [13:51] Marianna questions Trump’s legacy strategy:

  • Changing policies on social media moderation (Musk, Zuckerberg) enabled shifts in what’s deemed “acceptable” discourse.
  • Is Trump intentionally reshaping his legacy, or is this an organic evolution of narratives?

• [14:50] Anthony: Trump's obsession with legacy:

  • Post-2021 disgrace, Trump rebuilt his image and fought to erase the “black mark” of Jan 6th.
  • Ongoing efforts to cast doubt on the 2020 election, and even in the White House, Biden’s presidential description is labeled “the most corrupt in American history.”
  • Quote:

    “Donald Trump is very concerned about what people think about him… The big black mark from his first term was what happened on January 6th. So I think there has been a concerted effort... to reshape how people viewed that day.” — Anthony (14:50)

5. Competing Congressional Inquiries and Political Narratives

• [17:06] Marianna notes the new House Republican committee’s hearing:

  • Purpose: “to revisit… the narrative” around Jan 6.

• [18:10] Rep. Troy Nels (R) on the committee’s motives:

  • “The previous select committee assembled by Speaker Pelosi was a sham from the start… [It] set out to destroy Donald Trump and the MEGA movement by convincing the American people that Donald Trump coordinated a violent white supremacist insurrection… They did this to justify the prosecution of his supporters…”
    — Rep. Troy Nels (18:10)

• [19:23] Anthony recounts the 2021-22 Jan 6th committee:

  • Aggressively anti-Trump, laid responsibility at Trump’s feet.
  • The unusual committee structure (Pelosi rejecting Republican picks, installing only Trump critics) is, as Nels noted, part of current ongoing disputes.

6. The Role of Political Ping Pong and Media Amplification

• [20:43] Mariana:

  • The average person may simply “make up their own minds,” but politicization has distorted facts.
  • Footage clearly shows violent rioters, inspired by false stolen election claims, “but it’s all just become quite distorted, really.”

• [21:42] Hakeem Jeffries (Democratic House Minority Leader):

  • “The January 6th violent attack on the Capitol that took place five years ago today was shameful then, it is shameful now, and it will be shameful always and forever.” — Hakeem Jeffries (21:42)

• [22:16] Anthony’s analysis:

  • Democrats want to connect Jan 6 to Trump’s current actions, without dwelling solely on the past—midterms loom.
  • Quote:

    “They want to be able to attack Donald Trump on what he's doing because that, in the end is going to be what Americans care about…” — Anthony (22:22)

7. History, Social Media & The Ongoing Battle Over Legacy

• [22:46] Mariana speculates about historical perceptions:

  • The initial narrative was clear condemnation; it’s since become “distorted,” conspiracy-adjacent, amplified by social media (Elon Musk’s X) and right-wing influencers.
  • “You just wonder whether… when it's not Donald Trump who's president anymore, does everyone… take another step back and say… this was actually what happened.”

• [24:17] Anthony on commemoration and unresolved memory:

  • Even memorializing law enforcement remains contentious.
  • The plaque meant to honor Capitol defenders is in limbo, blocked by Republicans, relocated by senators. The location of the plaque itself reflects how unsettled the memory remains.
  • Quote:

    “If they can't agree on that [a plaque], how are they going to be able to agree on anything?” — Anthony (25:41)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “It’s like they are inhabiting completely different realities.”
  — Marianna, on Jan 6 narratives online and offline (03:57)
• “They were referred to not as rioters, but as the… January 6th hostages… a complete language shift.”
  — Marianna (06:22)
• “Donald Trump wants to cast doubts on the validity of that election and therefore the validity of his defeat.”
  — Anthony (15:50)
• “On day one, Donald Trump pardoned hundreds of violent felons who brutally beat police officers while storming the United States Capitol. The January 6th violent attack… was shameful then, it is shameful now, and it will be shameful always and forever.”
  — Hakeem Jeffries (21:42)
• “If they can't agree on that [a plaque], how are they going to be able to agree on anything?”
  — Anthony, on the unresolved legacy and commemoration of Jan 6th (25:41)

Important Timestamps

• 01:07 — Introduction to the five-year anniversary debate
• 03:01 — Social media’s role in divergent narratives
• 04:09 — Polling data: How Republican opinion has shifted
• 06:04 — The shift from “rioters” to “J6 hostages”
• 07:10 — Trump’s use of martyrdom and his second-term pardons
• 08:30 — Disinformation arguments from both sides
• 09:36 — The White House’s narrative and trolling accusations
• 11:04 — Social media echo chambers amplify division
• 12:19 — Ashley Babbitt’s martyrdom; monetary settlements
• 14:50 — Trump’s legacy obsession and attempts to rewrite history
• 17:06 — New House Republican committee revisiting Jan 6
• 18:10 — Rep. Troy Nels criticizes earlier Jan 6 committee
• 19:23 — Anthony’s behind-the-scenes of the first committee hearings
• 20:43 — Political ping pong and the challenge of shared facts
• 21:42 — Hakeem Jeffries commemorates Jan 6, calls it “always and forever shameful”
• 22:46 — Where will the narrative settle? The role of social media and shifting reality
• 24:17 — The battle over the Capitol memorial plaque

Tone and Style

The conversation is sober, analytical, and occasionally incredulous at the dizzying pace and scale of narrative shifts. Both Anthony and Marianna are fact-focused but deeply aware of the emotional and symbolic power the day still holds. The episode is deeply attuned to the mechanics of media, the evolution of language, and the stubborn endurance of partisan worldviews.

Conclusion

The Americast team reveals that, five years after the Capitol riots, January 6th is not merely a historical event, but a living, fiercely contested symbol. With social media’s amplification, political calculation, and shifting public sentiment, the struggle for narrative dominance shows no sign of resolution. Even basic recognition of facts, memorialization, or commemoration is being fought over, revealing a nation still struggling to process, remember, and define what happened—and what it means for American democracy.

Episode summary by BBC News | Americast