Bulwark Takes Podcast: “Rioters Return to the Scene and Face Angry Counter-Protesters”

Date: January 7, 2026
Host: Sam Stein (Managing Editor, The Bulwark)
Field Report: Jared Poland

Episode Overview

This episode of “Bulwark Takes” focuses on the five-year anniversary of the January 6th Capitol insurrection. Jared Poland is dispatched to the National Mall, reporting on a gathering of January 6th supporters—some of whom directly participated in the events of 2021—as well as a passionate group of counter-protesters. The conversation captures tense exchanges, raw emotions, and reflection on the ongoing political fallout from that day.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Context: The Scene on January 6, 2026 (01:21)

• Sam Stein sets up the episode, noting the subdued turnout compared to expectations:
  • About 100 pro-January 6th demonstrators, 30-50 counter-protesters, heavy media & police presence.
  • "The people who came to counter-protest were maybe punchier than the actual people who were there to celebrate January 6th."
  • The event included actual January 6th participants, including some pardoned by Trump.

Voices from January 6th Supporters

Conspiracy Narratives and Justifications

Multiple Speakers, Notable Quotes:

• “We were set up. ... It was supposed to be a great day, and we’re set up by the FBI.” (03:10)
• “They allowed us to walk in there and they hunted us down like terrorists...” (04:28)
• “Almost a million people, a lot worse could have happened.” (04:50)
• Trump described as a source of hope:
  • “I knitted him an American flag ... and I said, what’s one thing you want to say to our prisoners... he said, tell them everything will be okay.” (06:14)
• Sentiments of martyrdom and persecution:
  • “We paid the ultimate price. It didn’t take them long to slander, defame and smear us and to try to convince the American public that we were domestic terrorists without charging us for it.” (06:59)
• Calls for unity alongside defiance:
  • “We have different tactics. We have all the same wants and needs, but different ways of getting there. … We have more in common than we’ll ever be different.” (07:45)
• Emphasis on the personal toll:
  • “I served one of the longest terms in the D.C. gulag...” (06:15)
• Downplaying the violent impact:
  • “It was just a fun day, like a tour, basically. ... The crowd was actually very well behaved, all things considered.” (04:22)
• Explicit alternative reality:
  • “It was an inside job. ... Government attacked the people.” (04:00)
  • “It was a beautiful day.” (09:57)
• Expressing regret that the insurrection failed:
  • “I wish there was a real insurrection that day because a lot of lives would have been saved in the long run.” (10:38)

Voices from Counter-Protesters

Anger, Grief, and Calls for Accountability

• Outrage at continued celebration:
  • “This has to stop. The corruption, the incredible display that you can do anything and get away with it. These people attacked our Capitol. They were insurrectionists, and they were released for no reason whatsoever.” (14:12)
• Personal trauma from Jan 6:
  • “Honestly, January 6th was the most terrifying time that I’ve ever been in my own neighborhood.” (15:17)
  • “The desecration that took place in ... the symbol of our democracy was just heartbreaking.” (15:57)
• Deep frustration at pardons:
  • “It’s so outrageous. ... He pardons all of these criminals, criminals who are now taunting everyone with a ridiculous memorial march on January 6 where police officers died.” (16:09)
• Loss of faith in institutions:
  • “Honestly, when I think about it for more than five seconds, I just become so disillusioned and sick and lose all hope for the future of our country.” (16:56)
• Reference to Mike Pence’s courage:
  • “It doesn’t take courage to break the law. It takes courage to uphold the law. Yes. Vice President Pence, January 6, 2021.” (17:19)

Historical Reflection & Broader Impact

The Legacy and Threat of Political Violence

• Comparing Jan 6 to international precedents:
  • “I saw a historical precedent that was set, that if you look at other countries and democracies... they usually are violated in the same way with demagogues and the following that they mass... to violate the norms and laws that we hold dear...” (17:54)
• Commitment to truth and public witness:
  • “I wanted to try to stake my claim and say that we’re not going to allow that day to be rewritten in the history books. That even if I have to stand here by myself ... I can stand in the breach against any of them. Just like Vice President Pence did on January 6th.” (18:49)
• Deep criticism of renewed Trump presidency:
  • “A person who is entirely unfit to manage a McDonald’s is in charge of the entire country again, even after he incited a riot to overthrow the government and try to abolish the U.S. constitution.” (19:19)
• Disbelief at police presence:
  • “It’s really amazing to see this many police out here protecting the people who tried to kill them. This is all backwards.” (19:40)
• Long-term pessimism:
  • “I think [it’ll take] at least 20 years for us to get back to any semblance of our democracy as it was.” (20:50)
• Raw, blunt resistance:
  • Q: “So what brings you out here today?”
    A: “Nazis. Fucking Nazis.” (21:23)
  • “I’m heartbroken that it’s something that’s being celebrated in my nation’s capital, this insurrection that happened.” (22:10)

D.C. Residents’ Local Perspective

• Pre-warned by online chatter:
  • “I stayed in their chat rooms, and they were very violent, talked about a lot of violent plans... and lo and behold, a lot of violence happened on January 6th.” (22:24)
• Fierce advocacy for resistance:
  • “It’s absurd. And people need to be out here to resist demons like that.” (22:58)
• Despair at the lack of consequences:
  • “No justice got served, no justice got done. ... This is the most that we can do. Have a visible and verbal display of resistance to him. That’s why I’m out here.” (23:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the “Fed-surrection” Conspiracy:
  “It was an inside job. I think the government attacked the people.” (04:00)
• On the “D.C. Gulag”:
  “I served one of the longest terms in the D.C. gulag.” (06:15)
• On Unity:
  “We need to bridge the divide across the aisle. ... We have more in common than we'll ever be different.” (07:45)
• On lack of justice:
  “They were insurrectionists, and they were released for no reason whatsoever.” (14:25)
• On emotional impact:
  “I just become so disillusioned and sick and lose all hope for the future of our country.” (16:56)
• On counter-protest motives, bluntly:
  Q: “So what brings you out here today?”
  A: “Nazis. Fucking Nazis.” (21:23)
• On re-traumatization:
  “It's obscene that these people are here. It's obscene they got away with it.” (19:52)
• On civic witness:
  “Even if I have to stand here by myself ... I can stand in the breach against any of them. Just like Vice President Pence did on January 6th.” (18:49)

Structure of the Episode

• 00:00–01:20: (Skipped) Advertisement, introduction.
• 01:21–02:00: Sam Stein introduces Jared Poland, sets up episode scene.
• 02:01–13:40: Interviews with pro-January 6th attendees; recounting of conspiracy beliefs, personal stories, rationalizations.
• 13:41–24:00: Interviews with counter-protesters; expressions of anger, trauma, civic motivation, and fear for American democracy.
• (Outro/Subscription Pitch skipped)

Tone & Takeaways

The episode is raw, unfiltered, and charged, reflecting both the defiance of January 6th loyalists and the deep-seated anger and heartbreak of counter-protesters and local residents. The Bulwark’s approach—via Jared’s on-the-ground reporting—provides a rare, unsanitized glimpse into the narratives sustaining the ongoing “Stop the Steal” movement and the lived emotional fallout for those who see them as a threat to democracy.

The conversation underscores the nation’s persistent divisions, the normalization of extremist rhetoric among some, and the sense of civic duty felt by others to “stand in the breach”—symbolically defending the truth and the values of democracy.

Recommended for listeners seeking grounded, unvarnished perspectives on the ongoing fallout of January 6th, and the battles over history, justice, and democracy still raging five years on.