WASHINGTON ,D.C. – On this day four years ago, supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to hault the election certification. Since then, there have been many security changes and policy changes in hopes that another January 6 will not happen again.
January 6, 2025, snow blankets over the US Capitol building. As crews clean up the winter weather, the snow isn’t the only noticeable difference here on this day four years ago. January 6, 2021t was a very different scene. On that day, Trump continued to claim the election was stolen.
“Everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard,” said Trump during a rally on January 6. “And we fight, we fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you won’t have a country anymore.”
Trump supporters then marched to the Capitol, fought Capitol police officers and tried to disrupt the electoral certification process.
“Forced the Congressmen, the Senators to be locked in their offices or sit under their desks,” recalled Sen. Chuck Schumer (D- NY). “I was ushered out of the Senate chamber.”
“There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell on the Senate floor weeks after the event.
“They were there proud, they were there with love in their heart,” said Trump in a 2023 interview. “It was an unbelievable and it was a beautiful day.”
“And there was love and peace,” said Trump during an interview in 2024. “And some people went to the Captiol and a lot of strange things happened there.”
A lot has changed since that day four years ago: 1,600 people have been prosecuted in connection to the January 6th attacks, congressional hearings focused on police and intelligence failures on that day and Trump was charged for trying to overturn the 2020 election. President Biden is telling people to never forget what happened on this day.
“It’s a day that that most of our history we took for granted in the 6th, but I hope we never take it for granted again,” said President Biden. “You know, 4 years ago, January 6th this capital was attacked by a violent mom. If you come over to the Oval before I leave, I show you the room that the former president sat in for 3.5 hours watching what was going on on television, a small dining room off of my off the Oval Office. And our democracy is really literally put to the test and thankfully uh our democracy helped.”
After Trump won the November election, the January 6th case was dropped. The Justice Department said it would go against the constitution to pursue prosecutions against a sitting president.
Trump has also said that he is looking into pardoning the people who stormed the Capitol.
