The Real J6 Victims Are Standing Up

Summary

What A Day – "The Real J6 Victims Are Standing Up"

Host: Jane Coaston
Guest: Harry Dunn, former US Capitol Police officer
Date: May 27, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the controversy surrounding the Trump administration's new "$1.776 billion MAGA slush fund," which is ostensibly for "victims of DOJ weaponization," but is widely perceived as benefiting January 6th rioters. Host Jane Coaston interviews Harry Dunn, former US Capitol Police officer and plaintiff in a lawsuit against the fund, to unpack what the fund means, why it is so contentious, and why the January 6th story refuses to fade from public consciousness. The conversation explores the impact on police officers, the rewriting of the January 6th narrative, and why Dunn and fellow officers are taking legal action.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The MAGA Slush Fund and Lawsuit

• Background of the Fund:
  Jane Coaston explains that Trump created a $1.776 billion fund after a settlement regarding his leaked tax records. Trump claims the fund serves those “badly abused by an evil, corrupt and weaponized Biden administration,” though critics argue it mainly benefits Jan. 6 rioters ([01:10]).
• Harry Dunn & Daniel Hodges' Lawsuit:
  Dunn states he and Officer Daniel Hodges sued Trump’s administration just two days after the fund was announced, also noting their ongoing lawsuit regarding the lack of a January 6th memorial plaque ([02:46]):

  “We also have another current lawsuit against this Department of Justice for failure to putting up the January 6 plaque. We filed that a long time ago, and it is still in litigation.” — Harry Dunn ([02:46])

2. Rewriting the January 6th Narrative

• Politicians and the Public:
  Harry insists the ongoing attention to Jan. 6th is due to “no accountability” for the events, emphasizing the trauma for law enforcement and the alarming cultural amnesia being fostered ([03:53]):

  “It remains one of the most documented crime scenes in American history, and zero people have been held accountable because of that day.” — Harry Dunn ([04:15])

• No 'Great Patriots':
  Dunn rejects the administration’s portrayal of rioters as patriots. While some received minor punishments, those committed violence:

  “The people that assaulted police officers… those are the people that were spending years and years in jail. So it’s such a slap in the face to law enforcement officers, to me, but that’s what this president is attempting to do.” — Dunn ([04:52])

3. The Fund's Broader Implications

• Possible Recipients:
  Coaston questions the intention behind the fund by noting Republicans’ claim that the fund isn’t only for Jan. 6 participants, but Dunn remains skeptical ([05:41]).

  “I don’t believe anybody’s going to get anything from it because I believe in being successful at this lawsuit... It endangers me and Daniel Hodges’ life continually.” — Dunn ([06:19])

• Daily Threats and 'Aid to Insurrectionists':
  Dunn highlights ongoing harassment and threats against officers. He argues distributing these funds violates constitutional prohibitions on aiding insurrectionists ([06:41]):

  “Another note, it's also in the Constitution that says America should not be providing comfort and aid to insurrectionists. And that's exactly what they're doing should they decide to pay out insurrectionists.”

4. Moral Clarity and Public Opinion

• Confidence in the Lawsuit:
  Dunn feels their case is strong both legally and morally and points out that taxpayers of all stripes would resent their money compensating insurrectionists ([07:31]):

  “We are morally focused. We’re laser locked in that this is right…This is taxpayer money. And you know what? … They damn sure are going to be angry about paying taxes for insurrectionists.”

5. Reflections on Accountability

• Unexpected Continuation of the Fight:
  Dunn never expected to still be fighting this battle over five years later ([08:46]):

  “I thought that the nation was clear eyed about what happened… So at the time, I did not think that we would be here now…I thought that Donald Trump would have been impeached… But… America failed us. We didn’t show up for the assignment…” — Dunn ([09:37])

• Political Amnesia and Moving Forward:
  He laments the lack of sustained accountability and calls for more active efforts from the public and lawmakers to restrain Trump’s administration in its current (second) term ([09:37]).

6. The Dangers of Rewarding Insurrection

• Future Risks:
  Dunn warns that, by establishing the fund, Trump hasn't just forgiven but has incentivized future political violence. He characterizes the fund as a potential “retainer” for a private militia and expresses grave concerns about what might happen after 2029 ([11:02]):

  “Donald Trump now with this slush fund, has created an incentive. He’s incentivized attacks... At first it was just, hey, we’ll forgive you. Now it’s like, wait, I can get paid to do this now?” — Dunn ([11:12])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Never a good sign when you’re saying ‘technically’ about your charges.”
  — Jane Coaston, on Rachel Powell’s CNN interview ([01:00])
• “Don’t believe your lying eyes. You didn’t see what you saw.”
  — Harry Dunn, on the Trump administration’s January 6th narrative ([05:20])
• “We didn’t hold him accountable at the ballot box in 2024. So America failed the assignment.”
  — Harry Dunn ([09:37])
• “Donald Trump has basically put a retainer on his armed private militia.”
  — Harry Dunn ([11:45])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:04] – Jane Coaston introduces the day's stories, including Trump’s slush fund and context
• [01:10] – Trump’s narrative and origins of the $1.776 billion fund
• [02:21] – Interview: Harry Dunn joins to discuss the lawsuit
• [03:42] – Changing narratives about January 6th and what Dunn witnessed
• [06:02] – Suit’s justification, ongoing threats, constitutional questions
• [07:31] – Dunn’s confidence in the lawsuit and public’s likely feelings
• [08:46] – Dunn’s reflection on five years since Jan. 6 and lack of accountability
• [11:02] – The dangers of incentivizing insurrection and implications for the future
• [12:02] – Interview wraps up

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Language & Tone

• The conversation is candid, emotionally charged, and at times darkly humorous (Jane’s aside about “never a good sign when you’re saying ‘technically’ about your charges” and Trump’s “perfect” health).
• Harry Dunn speaks with moral conviction, frustration, and a sense of mission, emphasizing both the personal toll and the larger stakes.

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Takeaways

• The episode provides a nuanced exploration of accountability, constitutional law, and democracy’s resilience (or lack thereof) in the Trump era.
• Dunn’s perspective drives home the point that for law enforcement, activists, and concerned citizens, January 6th is very much unresolved—both as a legal issue and as a national trauma.
• The “slush fund” debate is framed as a struggle not only over money, but over the meaning of justice, patriotism, and history in 2026 America.

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This summary covers the full substantive content of the episode, omitting ads, general news headlines, and closing credits.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign

[B]

May 27th. I'm Jane Costen and this is what a Day, the show that briefly wondered, hey, what's Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Up to? The answer wrestling snakes outside of Dr. Oz's house. I don't know what I expected. On today's show, President Donald Trump has a three hour long physical and his administration is reportedly thinking about having all Federal employees sign NDAs. Sounds familiar. But let's start with Trump's $1.776 billion MAGA slush fund. The fund, intended for victims of DOJ weaponization, has very few supporters. Besides of course, the people who ride it on January 6th who are looking forward to their checks. Here's bullhorn lady Rachel Powell speaking to CNN about the fund. It's my crime that day of breaking a window. Technically that's a misdemeanor charge and yet I had three years of a house arrest, then having to endure everything I did through prison and getting a five year sentence on top of that. That's clearly weaponization. Never a good sign when you're saying technically about your charges. The fund came out of a deal made by Trump's personal attorneys and lawyers of the government over the leak of his tax records. Tldr. Trump sued the IRS while president and then the government of which he is the head settled. Weird. But if you ask Trump, he's just doing everyone a great big favor. He posted on Truth Social last week that he could have just settled the leak case, but quote, instead I am helping others who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt and weaponized Biden administration receive at long last justice. I can think of a few people who won't be receiving any justice from this administration. The people in uniform who tried to stop a mob on January 6, for instance. Former US Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn was one of those people. And now he's suing the Trump administration over the slush fund that could reward the rioters who attacked him. We spoke about the slush fund, his lawsuit, and why it's so important to him to stand up for what actually happened that day. Harry, welcome to what a Day.

[A]

Thanks for having me. It's great. I love the show, so I'm now glad to be on it.

[B]

So amazing. So you and Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges filed a lawsuit against President Trump just two days after the DOJ announced its new anti weaponization slush fund. I'm using air quotes cuz that's how I feel about it. What was your reaction when you first heard about it?

[A]

Well, Fun fact. Not only did Daniel Hodges and I protect the Capitol on January 6th together, not only are we suing Donald Trump in this administration because of the slush fund, we also have another current lawsuit against this Department of Justice for failure to putting up the January 6 plaque. We filed that a long time ago, and it is still in litigation. So I feel like that's become our thing. Just showing up when it's needed, always looking for ways to fight back, especially in this environment where so many people are looking. What can I do? What can I do to. This is wrong on so many levels. We knew this was coming. Donald Trump, along with the pardons that he issued on January 20, 2025, the day that he was inaugurated, he made this, a campaign promise to pay them and to pardon them. We knew this was coming, which was why we were able to act so swiftly with our lawsuit getting it filed once he officially announced that this was his plan to pay out in these rioters.

[B]

We've seen Republicans attempt to rewrite what happened on that day. But you were there. Do you remember any great patriots, in the words of our president?

[A]

Let me ask you that. Well, I'll turn back real quick. January 6th was almost five and a half years ago. Five and a half. As long as you've been covering news or the media, what story do you know five and a half years later that's still front page news, breaking news, every single time it's talked about? You know why? Because there's been no accountability for January 6th. It remains one of the most documented crime scenes in American history, and zero people have been held accountable because of that day. Zero. And that's why we're still talking about it now. And no, there were absolutely no patriots there. Now, listen, you know, I obviously, I'm very biased and to hell with everybody who was there with assaulting me and my coworkers. But there were people who were just walking around who may have got caught up in the moment. I agree. And those people were dealt with accordingly. They may have paid a small fine. They weren't sitting years and years in jail. The people that assaulted police officers, that were impeding law enforcement, that were obstructing Congress, that had conspiracy charges, that were charged and convicted of seditious conspiracy, those are the people that were spending years and years in jail. So it's such a slap in the face to law enforcement officers, to me, but that's what this president is attempting to do. As of January 6th this year alone, the White House put out a new website about the new January 6, blaming the police officers for the violence that happened that day and also honoring the people there who attacked law enforcement that day. So it's just been a continued slap in the face. And that's why this is so important that we get this lawsuit through the courts and we succeed at it, because this is an attempt at Donald Trump telling everybody that's listening, don't believe your lying eyes. You didn't see what you saw.

[B]

Now the Trump administration is like, of course, the fund is not explicitly for people who are there. On January 6, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said last week that the fund is for anyone who has felt that the government has been weaponized against them, not just Republicans. What's your response to that? Because I'm thinking, like, should you apply for that fund?

[A]

Yeah, well, you know, it's funny, I saw a couple of people on different various social media outlets saying, oh, you know what, I'm definitely going to apply for this because they obviously liberals and Donald Trump hates Democrats. I mean, look at his recent Memorial Day Democrats, as he calls it. There's no way in the world that we would get a penny out of this. But also beyond that, I don't believe anybody's going to get anything from it because I believe in being successful at this lawsuit. We believe one, that we have the standing to it because paying out the people responsible for one of the most violent days in American history, one of the darkest days in American history, it endangers me and Daniel Hodges life continually. A lot of people know us because of what we've done. Not after what we did on January 6, but us talking about it, us advocating testifying in trials, doing news appearances. What they don't see is the death threats that we get daily, we weekly, the confrontations that we have to endure, the run ins that we have with these people who are now emboldened by this administration. So we believe that even if you are and have been weaponized, we believe in stopping this fund because we think it's illegal. And also another note, it's also Constitution in the Constitution that says America should not be providing comfort and aid to insurrectionists. And that's exactly what they're doing should they decide to pay out insurrectionists.

[B]

You seem pretty confident about this suit. Why? What gives you that confidence?

[A]

We're morally clear on this. We are morally focused. We're laser locked in that this is right. And you know what? This, this is more than just, hey, let's make a statement. Let's, you know, let's make some kind of symbolic gesture with this lawsuit. We actually believe that we can win this thing. And why we also feel so confident about it outside of just the legal arguments that we will be making in the, in the courts, outside of that, this is just wrong. The American people are against this. This is taxpayer money. And you know what? One thing taxpayers are always angry about paying taxes and they damn sure are going to be angry about paying taxes for insurrectionists. This isn't like a. Somebody set up a GoFundMe account or somebody sent up one of their a donate here to support the. That's not what this is. And it's wrong. And I don't believe any taxpayer, even Republicans, want their money going to reward insurrectionists who attack people on the Capitol.

[B]

You mentioned that January 6th was nearly five and a half years ago. On that day, did you imagine that you would still need to be talking about it? Still needing to basically fight that battle daily five and a half years later?

[A]

Five and a half years later from January 6th, I have quit the department and I am in my second run for Congress now. No, I absolutely had no idea that that day would lead me to this right now. I thought that the nation was clear eyed about what happened. I thought that they were morally accepting about who was responsible for it. Actually, you know what? They were. Mitch McConnell on the House floor, excuse me, on the Senate floor during the impeachment proceedings. Donald Trump is morally responsible for what happened on January 6th. He needs to take full responsibility. Those were his words. So Kevin McCarthy and so many people were on the same page. Lindsey Graham, I'm done with them. You know what? We can't stand with this guy anymore. So I'm like, all right, this is great. We have accountability coming. Everybody's on the same page. And then slowly, over time, Donald Trump got to them. The people, the constituents. I guess MAGA got to them and they lost their spine and they lost their courage. So at the time, I did not think that we would be here now. I thought that Donald Trump would have been impeached. I thought that even if he didn't get convicted, I damn sure believe that he wouldn't win this election again. But to be very candid and very honest, America failed us. We didn't show up for the assignment when we had an opportunity to us the ultimate authority to hold people accountable, the American people. We didn't hold him accountable at the ballot box in 2024. So America failed the assignment. Now, I know there are a lot of our listeners out there that are saying, no, not us. Absolutely not us. Right. We did it. But we have to look at what can we do instead of saying I told you so. So we're going to do more. We are one third, one third of the way through Donald Trump's second term. He has two thirds of a term left. And you think the first third was bad? Buckle up. Unless we get people that are willing to rein him in and hold this country protected like they're supposed to. These are elected officials. They're not doing it right now.

[B]

So looking ahead, I mean, we mentioned it's been five and a half years and you're still having to go through this every single day. But looking down the road, why do you think it's important to stop this slush fund?

[A]

What's the alternative? And what message does that send now? When the pardons were issued, everybody was outraged, rightfully so about it, because that forgave the people. From January 6, accountability serves two purposes. One, it provides some type of closure to those who are aggrieved. In this case, it was the entire country, because everybody watched that day, horrified. But what accountability also does, it serves as a deterrent to keep them, to keep anything like that from happening again. When we were robbed of accountability, Donald Trump now with this slush fund, has created an incentive. He's incentivized attacks now to stand with him as long as you do it in his name. At first it was just, hey, we'll forgive you. Now it's like, wait, I can get paid to do this now? So I think Donald Trump has basically put a retainer on his armed private militia. And because I don't expect him to leave office peacefully in January of 2029. Why? Because he doesn't have a good track record of doing it already.

[B]

Harry, thank you so much for joining me.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

That was my conversation with former U.S. capitol Police officer Harry Dunne. We'll get to more news that doesn't involve January 6th rioters in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe. Leave a five star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. This episode is brought to you by IQ Bar, our exclusive snack, hydration and coffee sponsor. IQ Bar Protein Bars, IQ Mix Hydration Mixes and IQ Joe Mushroom Coffees are the delicious low sugar, brain and body fuel you need to win your day. All IQ Bar products are clean, label, certified and entirely free from gluten, dairy, soy, GMOs and artificial ingredients. All IQ Bar products are packed with clean, delicious ingredients that keep you physically and mentally fit like magnesium, lion's mane and more. There are plenty of flavor combinations to choose from across all IQ Bar products, from Mint Chocolate Chip protein bars to Blueberry Pomegranate Hydration mixes to Vanilla Spice Coffee and even limited edition and seasonal flavors too. With over 20,000 5 star reviews and counting, more people than ever are fueling their busy lifestyles with IQ Bars, Brain and Body Boosting bars and hydration mixes and mushroom coffees. Their Ultimate Sampler Pack includes all three. IQ Bar is my post gym snack of choice and right now IQ Bar is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQ Bar products including the ultimate sampler pack plus free shipping. To get your 20% off, text HWAD to 64,000, text HOD to 64,000 that's WAD to 64,000. Message and data rates may apply. Save see Terms for details. What a day is brought to you By Common Power April 29, 2026 we saw the Voting Rights act gutted by SCOTUS and our country further unraveled, an important thread in our democracy. The first step in regaining the freedoms we've lost is winning control in Congress, and the midterms are exactly how we do that. Common Power is the organizing force, training and deploying volunteers across over 20 battleground states and over 50 races to compete in the most important elections of our lifetime. Again, taking back Congress isn't just about going back to normal. It's about building a new America with leaders who have big ideas like the Voting Rights act when it first passed. This moment requires us to scale and we need your support in deploying thousands of volunteers to win key races. For those who refuse to sit this moment out, donate [e-mail] Crooked

[C]

Hey Crooked listeners, if you haven't become a friend of the POD yet, you are missing out on exclusive bonus content that drops every single week. If you do join, you're helping us, you know, grow Crooked Media, which is one of the few independent, proudly pro democracy media companies left in Trump's America. If you join, you also get ad free episodes of all your favorite pods. Ad free episodes of Pod Save America. Love it or leave it offline. Pod Save the World. You also get bonus content like our new extra episode of Pod Save America called Pod Save America Only Friends, Dan Pfeiffer's Polar Coaster. You also get access to all of our excellent substack newsletters like Pod Save America, Open Tabs and tons more great content. So stop what you're doing right now and go ahead and [e-mail] friends. Check it out.

[B]

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Find your next favorite dish on TikTok. Here's what else we're following today. Head of Lines it's either going to be a good deal or there isn't going to be one that was Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking on Tuesday about negotiations with Iran. His comments came after the US Struck the Middle Eastern country. Iran denounced the strikes as a sign of bad faith and unreliability. The US Military characterized Monday's strikes in southern Iran as defensive and said the U.S. acted with quote, restraint in light of the weeks long ceasefire. Iran's Foreign ministry called the strikes a ceasefire violation and warned that Washington would bear responsibility for any consequences. Federal judges blocked Alabama's plan to use a congressional map that could give Republicans an advantage in a key U.S. house race. On Tuesday, a three judge panel in the state's long running redistricting case issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the state from switching maps, ruling that the Republican backed plan intentionally discriminated based on race by including only one black majority district. On that note, South Carolina's GOP controlled Senate rejected a push to redraw districts which would have likely pushed out the state's lone Democratic congressman, Jim Clyburn. The political drama in South Carolina is part of a Republican strategy propelled by Trump to redraw voting districts to the GOP's advantage. Republicans have moved quickly to try to LEVERAGE A recent U.S. supreme Court ruling that weakened minority protections under the federal Voting Rights Act. The Trump administration is proposing that all government employees sign a non disclosure agreement to prevent them from sharing confidential government information. That news comes from a draft notice published in the Federal Register on Tuesday. According to the Washington Post, the NDAs would go beyond classified information to include basically anything that isn't publicly available. The draft notice cites several examples of quote, unauthorized disclosures, including reporting from the New York Times and Washington Post regarding the US Raid that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. According to the notice, not signing the NDA could result in removal from federal service. However, agencies could decide whether or not to adopt the NDAs in the first place. Trump had another medical exam on Tuesday, putting his health under renewed scrutiny after he has worked to dismiss concerns over his age and stamina. The 79 year old President spent more than three hours at Walter Reed National Military Hospital. It was Trump's fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to office. In a social media post after the visit, Trump said that he had just finished his quote, six month physical and that quote, everything checked out perfectly. Yes, perfect is the word I would also use to describe those bruised hands and his habit of falling asleep during daytime events. And that's the news. Starting June 8th. What a day. Episodes will be hitting YouTube and your podcast feeds in the afternoons. As you know, the news never stops and in a couple of weeks we will get it to you faster. The latest updates, freshest analysis and headlines as they happen. Just in time for your evening commute, decompression walk or your new designated what a Day listening time. If you aren't already, subscribe to what a Day on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and follow Rooked Media on social so you never miss an episode. Same show new release time. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, don't listen to Tucker Carlson for most things, including financial advice, and tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading, not just about how the right wing pundit offered a pearl of wisdom on his podcast

[A]

on Monday, I think people should stop

[C]

paying their credit cards.

[A]

I know no one else agrees with me and oh, you have a moral obligation.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Well, you have a moral obligation not to send credit card applications to kids

[B]

in college like me. What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Kostin and look, maybe that excuse works for someone who once made $20 million a year when he was working for Fox News, but I would not suggest attempting it on your next call to Wells Fargo. Water Date is a production of Crooked Media. Our show is produced by Kaitlyn Plummer, Emily Foer, Erica Morrison and Adrienne Hill. Our team includes Haley Jones, Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Joseph Dutra, Johanna Case and Desmond Taylor. Our music is by Kyle Murdock and Jordan Cantor. We had help today from these suits stated press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.

[C]

Hey Crooked listeners, if you haven't become a friend of the POD yet, you are missing out on exclusive bonus content that drops every single week. If you do join, you're helping us, you know, grow Crooked Media, which is one of the few independent, proudly pro democracy media companies left in Trump's America. If you join, you also get ad free episodes of all your favorite pods. Ad free episodes of pod. Save America. Love it or leave it offline. Pod Save the World. You also get bonus content like our new extra episode of Pod Save America called Pod Save America Only Friends Dan Pfeiffer's Polar Coaster. You also get access to all of our excellent substack newsletters like Pod Save America, Open tabs and and tons more great content. So stop what you're doing right now and go ahead and [e-mail] friends check it out.

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