Good evening, everyone. This piece is different. Tonight, I am wearing both my lawyer’s hat and my journalist’s hat. This video update is longer than usual because it marks the launch of a deep-dive series I will be rolling out in 2026.
Today, the White House used taxpayer dollars to launch a government website that claims to outline the events of January 6, 2021. The problem is simple and serious: the site is riddled with misinformation. Using the sworn testimony of Jack Smith and other primary evidence, I am prosecuting the factual case of January 6, 2021 and laying out, step by step, exactly where the White House got it wrong.
This project took significant time to research and develop. I even spent time on the ground exposing a failed Proud Boys rally (don’t worry, I am safe).
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The White House Website
Today, on the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the White House under Donald Trump launched a government website that promotes false claims about the 2020 election and rewrites the history of the riot. The site downplays the violence, blames Capitol Police for escalating tensions, accuses Democratic leaders of security failures, and falsely claims that then–Vice President Mike Pence acted out of “cowardice” by certifying Joe Biden’s victory.
The website asserts that the election was “stolen,” despite repeated court rulings rejecting those claims, and echoes conspiracy theories alleging FBI entrapment and a so-called deep state plot behind the attack.
The website’s launch coincided with the return of dozens of Trump-pardoned January 6 defendants to Washington, D.C., including former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who publicly called for “retribution” against judges, prosecutors, and federal agents. I attended this rally of January 6th defendants today to cover it live for you. They expected thousands to show up. Less than 100 showed up today:
Debunking the White House Lies Part 1
The White House website presents the President’s version of events on January 6, 2021. Its timeline opens by portraying those who marched to the United States Capitol as “patriots,” falsely characterizing the march as peaceful. It describes the crowd as “orderly and spirited,” highlighting flags, signs, and chants in support of President Trump while omitting the violence that unfolded.
The truth is starkly different. The President of the United States instructed those gathered at the rally on January 6, 2021 to “fight like hell,” warning that if they did not, the country would cease to exist.
And that is exactly what followed. As they marched to the United States Capitol, rioters prepared to overwhelm officers guarding the Capitol while members of Congress inside the building were certifying the results of the 2020 election. This is one of the images from that march that the White House now claims was “peaceful.”
The White House next shifts blame onto Capitol Police, accusing officers defending the building of “escalating tensions.” The reality is far different. On January 6, protesters surged past Capitol Police guarding the west steps, the side facing the White House. Within minutes, an officer declared a riot at the Capitol. “We’re going to give riot warnings,” he said. “We’re going to try to get compliance, but this is now effectively a riot.” This clip shows a rioter, later pardoned by the President, spraying officers with chemical agents.
The White House then claims that President Trump called for peace. The truth is very different. As Jack Smith explained, Trump was receiving urgent calls from people he trusted and relied upon, yet he still refused to act to protect those under attack at the Capitol. That refusal is not incidental. It is critical evidence of criminal intent in this case.
Debunking the White House Lies Part 2
The White House timeline then redirects blame toward Vice President Mike Pence, falsely claims that Congress certified a stolen election, and portrays Donald Trump as having been silenced rather than held accountable.
Next, the official White House website asserts that then Vice President Mike Pence committed a “betrayal of the president” by certifying the 2020 election results after the Capitol was attacked. The current Trump administration goes further, labeling his actions “an act of cowardice and sabotage.” As Mike Pence put it himself, he had no right to overturn the results of the 2020 election:
The White House argues that the 2020 election was “stolen.” The truth is different. Multiple investigations, court rulings, audits, and expert reviews found no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could have altered the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Claims involving ballot dumps, hacked voting machines, foreign interference, or mass illegal voting were repeatedly debunked by election officials from both parties. Recounts and audits in key states, including Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona, consistently confirmed President Biden’s victory. The factual record is clear and conclusive: the 2020 election was free, fair, and secure.
The Truth About January 6, 2021
The truth about January 6, 2021 is very different from the one the White House is sharing using your taxpayer dollars. Jack Smith said that after nearly 30 years as a career prosecutor serving under both Republican and Democratic administrations, he made the decision to charge Donald Trump based solely on the facts, the law, and the evidence, not politics. He stated that the investigations produced proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 election and obstruct the lawful transfer of power.
Smith said his case relied heavily on testimony from Republicans who placed loyalty to the country above party and repeatedly told President Trump the truth. According to Smith, Trump rejected information from trusted advisers whenever it conflicted with his desire to remain in office, while embracing even the most far-fetched and legally unsupported theories that suggested he could stay in power.
Smith said prosecutors developed strong proof of this consistent pattern and emphasized that Trump deliberately avoided consulting qualified experts, instead seeking out individuals he believed would support his preferred outcome.
The White House website now claims that President Trump’s 2025 pardons corrected a historic injustice by freeing “patriotic citizens” who were merely peaceful protesters and victims of political persecution. In reality, the January 6 defendants were charged and convicted based on overwhelming evidence, including video, eyewitness testimony, guilty pleas, and jury verdicts, for crimes ranging from violent assaults on police officers to seditious conspiracy. Courts repeatedly found that defendants received due process, and no credible evidence supports the claim that they were political hostages or wrongfully imprisoned.
The White House also falsely asserts that those who died in connection with January 6 were innocent victims of persecution for peacefully protesting a “stolen” election. Multiple investigations, court rulings, and official reports have established that the election was not stolen and that the Capitol was violently attacked. These claims distort documented facts, erase the violence inflicted on law enforcement, and attempt to reframe a criminal attack on democratic institutions as an act of heroism.
The use of taxpayer dollars to promote falsehoods about a violent attack on American democracy is not just misleading, it is dangerous. It asks the public to forget what they saw, to distrust courts and evidence, and to accept loyalty over law. This series exists for one reason: to preserve the factual truth against deliberate erasure. The history of January 6 is already written in evidence and testimony, and no amount of revisionism will rewrite it. In the chapters ahead, we will continue to follow the facts, wherever they lead, and hold power accountable to the truth.
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