January 6th’s Shadow Lingers: Trump’s Jan 6 Meeting Sparks National Debate as Memorial Remains Unmarked

On the fifth anniversary of the Capitol breach on January 6, 2021, President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet privately with House Republicans at the Kennedy Center for a policy forum. Meanwhile, Democrats plan to hold a hearing featuring witnesses who were present during the breach and gather on Capitol steps to mark the anniversary.

Enrique Tarrio, former leader of the Proud Boys, has announced plans for a midday march retracing the route taken by demonstrators from the White House to the Capitol, intending to honor Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt and others who died in connection with the events of January 6. Tarrio emphasized that the planned march would be “PATRIOTIC and PEACEFUL,” urging attendees to avoid causing trouble.

The anniversary reflects ongoing political division over how the breach should be characterized and remembered, with no official bipartisan event scheduled to commemorate the day. A plaque recognizing law enforcement officers who were on duty has not been installed, and lawmakers remain divided on the appropriate characterization of the events.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., stated that the January 6 events continue to raise questions about democratic norms and the rule of law. Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk dismissed Democrats’ planned hearing as “partisan and politically motivated,” while others have pointed to security failures as potential causes for the breach.

Five people died during or after the January 6 events, including Babbitt, who was shot by police attempting to enter a restricted area near the House chamber. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick also died later, and several law enforcement officers subsequently died by suicide.

The Justice Department previously charged Trump with efforts to challenge the 2020 election results but dropped the case after his reelection. Trump was impeached by the House following January 6 on an incitement charge but acquitted by the Senate.