The NPR Politics Podcast — "Jan. 6, 2021: Five Years Later"

Date: January 6, 2026
Hosts & Reporters: Tamara Keith (White House), Carrie Johnson (Justice Department), Tom Dreisbach (Investigative Correspondent)

Overview of the Episode

This episode marks the five-year anniversary of the January 6th Capitol insurrection. The NPR Politics Podcast team examines not just the day’s events, but also its legal, political, and cultural aftermath. With Donald Trump now back in office and having pardoned most January 6th defendants, the reporters analyze the long-term effects on law enforcement, the justice system, American politics, and the struggle to preserve an accurate historical record.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recap of January 6th and Immediate Fallout

• The Insurrection: Supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol to delay certification of the 2020 election. Violence lasted hours, injuring roughly 140 police officers.
• Political Dynamics: Trump pressured Vice President Pence to overturn the election (01:13). Pence refused, calling it unconstitutional.
• Aftermath: The nation has wrestled with the consequences ever since.

2. Scope and Scale of Federal Prosecutions

• Largest Criminal Probe in U.S. History: Over 1,500 cases pursued (03:52); investigation began under Trump but intensified during the Biden administration (02:29).
• Resource Strain: DC’s courts and prosecutors overwhelmed; senior judges were recruited (02:29).

3. Categories of Defendants and Charges

• Three Buckets of Charges (03:52):
  • Seditious Conspiracy: Proud Boys, Oath Keepers planned to use force to oppose the government (04:13).
  • Violence Against Police: Assaults using weapons, including stun guns, batons, and chemical sprays (04:36).
  • Nonviolent Intruders: Entered Capitol but didn’t assault officers; their presence empowered the mob (05:10).
• Firearms Myth: Some rioters carried guns, but none used them during the riot—contradicting Trump’s public claims (05:00).

4. Trump’s Mass Pardons

• Pardons and Commutations: On taking office in 2025, President Trump issued nearly blanket pardons, including to those convicted of assaulting officers (05:37, 08:55).
• Notable Exceptions: Some seditious conspiracy leaders got commutations, not full pardons (05:57, 07:12).
• Historical Context: The scale and content of these pardons were unprecedented, even surprising Trump allies and the Justice Department (07:26).
• Pardons as a Campaign Promise Fulfilled: Trump framed January 6th defendants as political prisoners or hostages throughout his campaign (09:25).

5. Impact on Defendants’ Lives

• Most Move On or Celebrate: Many try to forget January 6th. Others, now “activists,” hold rallies and demand “reparations” (13:38).

• Notable Outlier: Jason Riddle, a nonviolent participant, publicly rejected Trump's pardon, expressing remorse (10:37, 12:35).

  "I can't accept. You know, this is cops have died. Trump is promoting criminal behavior. That was a criminal act. January 6th was a crime ... That's what January 6th was. It was a result of his lies." — Jason Riddle, 12:35

• Recidivism & New Crimes: Some pardoned rioters are now facing further prosecution for unrelated or sometimes severe crimes (13:38).

• White House Response: The administration dismisses criticism as “far left talking points” (15:21).

6. The Trump Criminal Case and the Suppression of Legal Action

• Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Investigation:
  • Smith testified that the DOJ developed “proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election...” (16:44).
  • Court case dropped due to DOJ policy against prosecuting a sitting president (16:16).
  • Evidence traced Trump’s plotting from before January 6th, including the fake electors scheme and incitement at the rally itself (17:58, 19:04).

7. Timeline: Trump’s Actions on January 6th (Comprehensive Review, 19:04)

• 12:00pm: Trump rallies, promotes false claims, calls for march on Capitol.
• 12:53pm: Violence begins before Trump’s speech ends.
• 2:13pm: Capitol building breached.
• 2:24pm: Trump attacks Pence on Twitter.
• 2:38pm: Trump calls for peace, but violence well underway.
• After 4:00pm: Trump finally urges supporters to go home via video.

“For another hour, police are battling rioters on the west front of the Capitol. Trump says nothing for that entire period.” — Tom Dreisbach, 19:04

8. Law Enforcement’s Experience and Trauma

• Unprepared for Coordinated Attack: Capitol Police overwhelmed by violence and simultaneous pipe bomb threats (22:23).

• Enduring Wounds: Many officers left with permanent injuries (23:44).

• Emotional Toll: Michael Fanone (DC police) says psychological trauma of having his experience “whitewashed” eclipses even his physical trauma (24:13).

  "Even more traumatic for him has been this effort to whitewash what he went through...the people who did it were in fact, great patriots and not people who assaulted him." — Tom Dreisbach, 24:13

• Memorial Plaque Erasure: Memorial for defending officers remains unmounted—blocked by current GOP House leadership as litigation unfolds (25:05, 25:37).

9. Historical Erasure and the Fight Over Narrative

• Efforts to “Rewrite” January 6th:
  • Refusal by GOP leaders to honor police (25:37).
  • Rhetorical shift: from condemnation (“terrorist attack,” “domestic terrorists”) to denial (“day of love”).
• Justice Department Overhaul: Many January 6th prosecutors fired or demoted; Ed Martin (with no prior legal experience) now serves as pardon attorney and “weaponization czar.”
  • Notably, Jared Wise, a former FBI agent and participant at the Capitol riot, now works for the DOJ (28:48).

10. The Battle to Preserve the Public Record

• Purge and Burying Evidence: Trump DOJ removed databases, press releases, and wanted posters related to Jan. 6th cases (32:50).
• NPR’s Journalistic Effort: NPR created and maintains its own comprehensive archive: npr.org/j6archive (34:19).

  “It’s up to us in the press, in the public to make sure that we preserve this history…” — Tom Dreisbach, 34:08

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Legal Philosophy:

  "The entire force of the mob...was what gave the mob so much power to disrupt the certification of the election, that but for all of those people who were joining...it would not have unfolded in such a chaotic way." — Tom Dreisbach, 05:10

• On Trauma of Law Enforcement:

  "He can no longer play with his kids... The physical wounds have healed, but the mental wounds...are still with him." — Tom Dreisbach, 24:13

• On Historical Erasure:

  “It's the symbolism... of not wanting to portray the police officers who defended the Capitol that day as heroes, at least by some in the Republican Party, no longer view them as heroes, which is a sea change from where we were five years ago.” — Tom Dreisbach, 25:37

• On the Fight for Record Preservation:

  “We should never really trust the government to get the facts and the history exactly right. So it's up to us in the press, in the public to make sure that we preserve this history and make sure people can see the facts for themselves.” — Tom Dreisbach, 34:08

• On Rejecting a Pardon:

  "I can't accept. You know, this is cops have died. Trump is promoting criminal behavior. That was a criminal act. January 6th was a crime." — Jason Riddle, 12:35

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:30 – Episode theme introduction: examining the Jan. 6 insurrection, five years later.
• 01:13 – Recap of the day’s events and Pence’s refusal.
• 02:29 – Evolution and scale of the DOJ’s investigation.
• 03:52 – Breakdown of types of defendants/charges.
• 05:37 – Trump’s mass pardons after returning to office.
• 10:37 – Interview with Jason Riddle, a pardoned rioter rejecting his pardon.
• 13:38 – Update on other rioters: activism, recidivism, and new crimes.
• 16:44 – Jack Smith’s testimony on Trump’s culpability.
• 19:04 – Timeline of Trump’s actions during the insurrection.
• 22:23 – The challenge and trauma for law enforcement.
• 25:37 – Symbolism and erasure: the missing memorial plaque.
• 27:43 – Trump-aligned actors installed in DOJ roles.
• 31:12 – The rise of conspiracy theories and the rewriting of January 6th history.
• 32:50 – Destruction of DOJ Jan. 6th case records under Trump; NPR’s counter-effort.
• 34:08 – The journalist’s mission to preserve the true account.

Final Notes

This episode provides an unflinching, in-depth look at how January 6th has been remembered, prosecuted, pardoned, and in many ways, contested. It captures the dramatic transformations in executive power, the justice system, and public memory—solidifying January 6th as a day that will continue to shape American democracy and its institutions for years to come. Access the full NPR archive for documents and videos about the insurrection at npr.org/j6archive.