Trump White House attempts to rewrite history of Jan. 6, accuses Capitol Police of escalating tensions
The White House on Tuesday sought to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, unveiling a new webpage that described the pro-Trump marchers as "peaceful" and "orderly" and accused police of escalating tensions and violence.
The timeline presented by the administration grossly mischaracterized some of the day's events, downplaying President Donald Trump's rhetoric before the violence began and falsely claiming the 2020 election was stolen.
Tuesday marked five years since the historic attack, during which more than 100 law enforcement officers were injured and several people died. Roughly 1,500 people were charged in connection with Jan. 6, though Trump issued sweeping pardons to those individuals on the first day of his second term.
Trump briefly addressed the anniversary as he spoke to House Republicans at the recently renamed Kennedy Center on Tuesday morning. He assailed the House select committee that investigated him and alleged it never reported on his comments that day telling supporters to march "peacefully and patriotically" to the Capitol.
The webpage published by the White House went further. In a timeline, it described the crowd as "orderly and spirited" and said the Capitol Police response fueled tensions.
"Capitol Police aggressively fire tear gas, flash bangs, and rubber munitions into crowds of peaceful protesters, injuring many and deliberately escalating tensions. Video evidence shows officers inexplicably removing barricades, opening Capitol doors, and even waving attendees inside the building -- actions that facilitated entry -- while simultaneously deploying violent force against others. These inconsistent and provocative tactics turned a peaceful demonstration into chaos," the website timeline reads.
The White House website said Trump urged calm that day and "consistently promotes non-violence despite the attack on attendees and emotions running high."
ABC News has reached out to Capitol Police for comment.
Several Trump supporters died on Jan. 6: Ashli Babbitt, Kevin Greeson, Rosanne Boyland and Benjamin Philips. Several law enforcement personnel -- including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick -- died later. Some of them died some by suicide.
Of the roughly 1,583 defendants who prosecutors charged in connection with the attack, 608 faced charges for assaulting, resisting or interfering with law enforcement trying to protect the complex that day. Roughly 174 of those 608 were charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or otherwise causing serious injury to an officer, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Several former Capitol Police officers there that day have pushed back on the attempts by Trump and others to rewrite the narrative over the years.
"We were there protecting. We were there to hold a line. We're not pushing back unless we're pushed on first," former Capitol Police officer Winston Pingeon told ABC News in 2024.
As the administration alters the facts of the Capitol riot on the official White House website, it accuses Democrats of "masterfully reversed reality after January 6." Specifically, the website points blame toward then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for "Security Lapses."
The White House webpage pointed to what it called "leaked footage" captured by Pelosi's daughter for an HBO documentary in which Pelosi, discussing National Guard and security, said, “I take full responsibility for not having them just prepare for more."
Ian Krager, a spokesperson for Pelosi, said the clip is "cherry-picked" and taken out of context.
"Numerous independent fact-checkers have confirmed again and again that Speaker Pelosi did not plan her own assassination on January 6th. Cherry-picked, out-of-context clips do not change the fact that the Speaker of the House is not in charge of the security of the Capitol Complex -- on January 6th or any other day of the week," Krager said in a statement. "The ongoing attempts to whitewash the deadly insurrection are shameful, unpatriotic, and pathetic."
Asked for comment on the webpage, the White House pointed ABC News to an X post announcing the new webpage with what it called the "REAL Jan. 6 story."
Democrats accuse Trump of whitewashing Jan. 6 violence
Democrats on Capitol Hill, meanwhile, accused Trump of trying to
"whitewash" the violence of Jan. 6, even before the White House website was revealed.
"Over the last five years, instead of holding those responsible for the attack accountable, Donald Trump and far-right extremists in Congress have repeatedly attempted to rewrite history and whitewash the horrific events of Jan. 6. We will not let that happen," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Tuesday morning.
Pelosi testified at a unofficial congressional hearing on Tuesday organized by House Democrats to mark the anniversary. She said Trump "continues to lie about what happened that day."
Pelosi said "his lies that he continues to tell are an insult to the courage of our founders, the beautiful vision they have of this country and they wrote the Constitution."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a floor speech on Tuesday, slammed Trump over his pardons to Jan. 6 rioters.
"Of course, the five-year anniversary of Jan. 6 comes at a bitter and complicated moment. The very same man who sought to steal an election and delegitimize our democracy has now returned to office, by the very same means he tried to destroy," Schumer said. "And what was Donald Trump’s first official action while in office? Donald Trump, a man who claims to stand up for the police, a man who says he cares about the law and order, pardoned every single convicted insurrectionist on his very first day as president. These pardons are among the most sickening things Donald Trump has done in office. His betrayal of law enforcement, of democracy, makes a mockery of the rule of law."
ABC News' Lauren Peller, Allison Pecorin and Tierra Cunningham contributed to this report.
