White House rewrites January 6 history, Blames Police on 5-Year Anniversary

 On the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the White House launched a new website that recasts the events of that day, portraying the pro-Trump mob as peaceful protesters and suggesting that law enforcement provoked the violence. The site claims, without evidence, that the unrest was instigated by Capitol Police and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, framing the rioters as victims and casting US President Donald Trump as a hero for pardoning nearly 1,600 individuals charged in connection with the attack. For years, Trump has downplayed January 6, when thousands of his supporters stormed the Capitol to try to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Bidens 2020 election victory. The new website goes further, giving an official platform to long-debunked claims that the election was stolen. A timeline on the site describes Trumps speech at the Ellipse as detailing evidence of election fraud and urging a peaceful march to the Capitol, omitting parts of his address where he told supporters to fight like hell. It also ignores the rioters breaking windows, assaulting police, and engaging in violent acts, instead describing the rally as orderly and spirited, with flags, signs, and chants supporting President Trump. The webpage accuses the U.S. Capitol Police of deliberately escalating tensions, claiming tactics such as tear gas turned a peaceful demonstration into chaos, despite video evidence showing rioters attacking officers first. It also falsely states that zero law enforcement officers died, ignoring the death of Officer Brian Sicknick, who suffered strokes linked to injuries sustained defending the Capitol, and four other officers who later died by suicide. Over 140 officers were injured during the attack, many suffering long-term physical and mental health effects. The website criticizes then-Vice President Mike Pence for not attempting to overturn the election results, calling his actions cowardice and sabotage, despite legal experts affirming it would have been unconstitutional for him to reject the certified results. Pelosi is similarly cast as a villain based on her comments acknowledging security missteps at the Capitol, comments that do not support Trumps claim that she refused an offer of National Guard support, which she denies ever receiving. Trump is depicted as a victim who was silenced on social media and debanked by financial institutions. The site praises his pardons of those charged or convicted in the attack as a correction of a historic wrong, labeling the 1,600 recipients patriotic Americans, a group that includes militia members, individuals convicted of assaulting police, and those bringing weapons to the Capitol.Pelosi condemned the website, stating, January 6th was not an aberration and it was not spontaneous. It was the culmination of a sustained assault on truth, on the rule of law, and one of the most sacred principles of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power..