The Jim Acosta Show – "Ruthless Patriots! A Preview of Our Upcoming Event Marking Jan. 6 in DC with Harry Dunn, Olivia Troye and Glenn Kirschner"
Date: December 29, 2025
Host: Jim Acosta
Guests: Harry Dunn, Olivia Troye, Glenn Kirschner
Episode Overview
This special edition of The Jim Acosta Show serves as a preview for an upcoming live event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., marking the fifth anniversary of January 6th. Host Jim Acosta brings together guests Harry Dunn (Capitol Police officer and January 6th witness), Olivia Troye (former White House Homeland Security advisor), and Glenn Kirschner (former federal prosecutor) to reflect on the ongoing importance of remembering the attack, the need for accountability, and the work required to safeguard American democracy moving forward. The tone is urgent, passionate, and at times playfully defiant, as the guests claim the label of "ruthless patriots" in their fight against disinformation and erasure of January 6th.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Mark January 6th? (00:00–02:40)
- Acosta introduces the event, emphasizing the need to remember the Jan. 6 attack not just as history but as a lesson for the future.
"We need to remember this very important day, but also to focus on the future to make sure this doesn't happen again." – Jim Acosta [00:53]
- Harry Dunn expresses frustration over lack of accountability five years later, detailing difficulties in securing support for commemorative events due to donors’ reluctance:
"A lot of donors wanted to stay away from January 6th...trying to erase what happened that day." – Harry Dunn [01:33]
- He emphasizes the persistence of “ruthless patriots” unwilling to let the day be whitewashed or forgotten.
2. The Threat of Whitewashing & Rewriting History (02:40–04:55)
- Acosta and Dunn underline the ongoing attempts by political leaders and media to recast January 6th—sometimes as a “tourist” event or the work of outsiders.
- Olivia Troye stresses that revisiting Jan. 6 is about learning to "weather what's to come," and acknowledges the wider crises (political, economic, cultural) that drive vulnerability and division in America:
"There's a lot of people out there who feel invisible...trying to figure out where do they fit in and what does the future look like." – Olivia Troye [03:16]
3. Accountability: The Pillar of Prevention (04:55–06:45)
- Glenn Kirschner argues accountability is non-negotiable for preventing future attacks:
"The only way we get to keep our republic is if we ultimately place accountability where it belongs." – Glenn Kirschner [05:50]
- He, Dunn, Acosta, and Troye agree that both the perpetrators and those who incited the violence must face consequences.
- Kirschner enthusiastically embraces Dunn’s use of the phrase “ruthless patriots,” joking:
"Here lies a ruthless patriot. I will take that any day of the week...I think we may have to start the Ruthless Patriots Club." – Glenn Kirschner [06:31]
- The group laughs about making "Ruthless Patriots" T-shirts.
4. Remembering the Real Victims (07:36–10:03)
- Acosta and Dunn recall the human toll: deaths (like Officer Brian Sicknick), injuries (e.g., Mike Fanone), and ongoing trauma.
- Dunn emphasizes the day’s lasting impact:
"It's easy to...romanticize January 6th as, you know, a slogan. But people's lives were completely affected and turned upside down on that day." – Harry Dunn [08:22]
- He also reveals he’s suing the Architect of the Capitol to force recognition for the officers, as Congress still refuses to hang a commemorative plaque.
5. Current Political Cowardice & The Fight Against Erasure (10:03–11:34)
- The group calls out Speaker of the House Mike Johnson for refusing to honor the heroes of January 6th:
"He’s essentially led around on a leash by Donald Trump. And he's not a man. A man would hang that plaque up." – Jim Acosta [10:41]
- Olivia Troye cheekily announces she’s secured the “Ruthless Patriots” URL for their burgeoning club:
"We now own the URL and the domains. I just picked those up. So Ruthless Patriots is yours." – Olivia Troye [11:10]
6. Donald Trump’s Continued Influence and Pattern of Behavior (12:30–19:48)
- Acosta and Kirschner condemn Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election and his pattern of trying to circumvent or undermine democracy—redistricting, blaming others, and manipulating followers.
"I've never seen anybody complain and bitch and moan and whine so much all day, every day, particularly on social media..." – Glenn Kirschner [15:19]
- Troye adds that even some Trump supporters are exhausted by the failures and blame-shifting:
"I actually think that some of his supporters are also tired of him failing them, because that's truly what is actually happening here." – Olivia Troye [15:44]
- The group cites the former president’s bizarre claims about Ukraine and deference to Putin, warning that American foreign policy now serves adversaries, not US interests.
"Putin wants all of Ukraine. Donald Trump, you are not playing with a full deck." – Jim Acosta [17:21]
- Kirschner delivers a particularly memorable analogy:
"That's literally like saying pedophiles want the best for children." – Glenn Kirschner [19:41]
7. What’s At Stake in the Year Ahead (19:48–23:27)
- Acosta worries about Trump or Congressional allies trying to stall or block future elections and the continued undermining of institutions.
"What we are up against in this coming year is way worse than broken promises, way worse than, I mean, as bad as it is siding with Vladimir Putin, it is the potential undermining of our democracy." – Jim Acosta [20:03]
- Troye urges vigilance over changes in executive orders, DHS actions, and the increasing politicization of the DOJ.
"We need to be thinking about the election workers...who are possibly going to face the harassment and the threats...They are the people that are holding the line." – Olivia Troye [22:35]
8. Supreme Court, Accountability, and the Rule of Law (22:50–25:56)
- Acosta raises the alarm over the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity, questioning the survival of democratic “guardrails.”
- Kirschner points out not all hope is lost—there are legal distinctions, and accountability is still possible for acts outside “core constitutional functions”:
"Justice has been delayed here. But we can't forget that just because the Supreme Court said...You have presidential immunity for core constitutional functions. Core constitutional functions represents a fairly small subset of what Donald Trump has done that is criminal." – Glenn Kirschner [23:44]
- Both warn that if Democrats retake power, they must act with urgency—no more delays, no more caution over prosecuting crimes against democracy.
"There have to be penalties. There have to be consequences...You can't do this Hamlet on the Potomac to be or not to be...They are. These are crimes." – Jim Acosta [25:12]
- Kirschner sums up the mood:
"It feels like we need some ruthless patriotism, doesn't it?" – Glenn Kirschner [25:53]
9. Call to Action: The January 6th Event (26:10–End)
- Acosta details the forthcoming National Press Club event (Jan. 6, 2026) and reiterates its dual purpose: honor January 6th heroes and chart a course to prevent future attacks.
- The event will be live-streamed to ensure national participation.
- He closes with an appeal for collective strength:
"Let's make one small request for 2026, that this is the year that America stands strong, that all of us stand strong, that we all stand up to the dictator and stand up for the American way of life." – Jim Acosta [27:31]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "Not on our watches...refusing to let...erase what happened that day and sweep everything under the rug, rewrite history, lie about it, and reward the people responsible for it."
— Harry Dunn [01:54] - "Jim, the only way we can avoid this from happening again is with accountability. Accountability has been delayed. But, but this ain't over, not by a long shot."
— Glenn Kirschner [05:32] - "Here lies a ruthless patriot. I will take that any day of the week."
— Glenn Kirschner [06:31] - "It's easy to...romanticize January 6th as, you know, a slogan. But people's lives were completely affected and turned upside down on that day, and we can't forget that."
— Harry Dunn [08:22] - "He’s essentially led around on a leash by Donald Trump. And he's not a man. A man would hang that plaque up and tell Donald Trump, you know, we're honoring the heroes who defended the Capitol that day."
— Jim Acosta [10:41] - "We now own the URL and the domains. I just picked those up. So Ruthless Patriots is yours."
— Olivia Troye [11:10] - "All things are possible with accountability, but nothing good is...possible without accountability."
— Glenn Kirschner [24:26] - "It feels like we need some ruthless patriotism, doesn't it?"
— Glenn Kirschner [25:53]
Important Timestamps
- 00:00–02:40 — Introduction, event preview, Harry Dunn on accountability and donor fatigue
- 03:16–04:55 — Olivia Troye on American disaffection, looking ahead to 2026 and banding together
- 05:31–06:45 — Glenn Kirschner on the imperative of accountability; "ruthless patriots" coined
- 07:36–10:03 — The human cost, erasing history, Dunn’s lawsuit for Capitol recognition
- 10:24–11:34 — Blame and cowardice in current leadership, "Ruthless Patriots" as movement/URL secured
- 12:30–19:48 — Trump’s persistence, undermining democracy, exhaustion among supporters, foreign policy chaos, and cutting analogies
- 19:48–23:27 — Urgency about upcoming elections, sabotage fears, threats to election workers, DOJ politicization
- 23:27–25:56 — Supreme Court concerns, paths to accountability, Democrats urged to act decisively
- 26:10–End — Event details, call to action, closing reflections
Tone & Takeaways
The episode is a galvanizing, sometimes somber but ultimately hopeful rallying cry for truth-telling, accountability, and civic courage. The guests—self-proclaimed "ruthless patriots"—refuse to let trauma, fatigue, or political pressure erase the reality of Jan. 6 or its consequences. They urge listeners to join them in honoring the past and fiercely defending the future, both at the upcoming National Press Club event and in the everyday vigilance needed to maintain American democracy.