Capitol Police officers testified before Congress about what they endured on January 6. Beatings, racial slurs, chemical spray, the sound of mobs threatening to kill them. Their voices cut through months of denial and spin.
The hearings revealed two Americas: one that sees the riot as sedition, and another that insists it was “tourism” or a “false flag.” That second America sits inside the chamber itself, wearing congressional pins.
The break down:
- Testimony as evidence: The officers’ words destroyed the narrative that January 6 was harmless.
- Denial as strategy: Lawmakers downplay the violence to protect their own power.
- Accountability gap: Unless consequences reach beyond rioters to those who lit the fuse, hearings become theater.
Democracy isn’t defended by sentiment. It’s defended by truth, consequence, and memory. These hearings will test whether Congress has the stomach for any of it.