January 6 Was an Assault on Democracy — and We Must Never Forget

Jan

2026

PRESS RELEASE

January 6 Was an Assault on Democracy — and We Must Never Forget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 6, 2026

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — On the fifth anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol, West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin released the following statement commemorating the day and reaffirming Democrats’ commitment to defending democracy:

“Five years ago today, our nation witnessed one of the darkest moments in its history when Donald Trump incited a violent mob to attack the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn the results of a free and fair election. That was not protest. It was an insurrection — a direct assault on American democracy and the peaceful transfer of power that defines it.

“Trump’s attempt to cling to power failed not because he accepted the rule of law, but because of the extraordinary courage of Capitol Police officers, law enforcement, election officials, and public servants of both parties who stood up for the Constitution. More than 140 officers were injured that day, and lives were lost in its aftermath. We honor their bravery and sacrifice.

“It is also important to remind the American people — especially five years later — that not a single one of Donald Trump’s legal challenges claiming the 2020 election was ‘stolen’ held up in court. Not one. Judges across the country, including many appointed by Republicans, rejected these claims because they were baseless. The election was free. It was fair. And the will of the voters was clear.

“Yet instead of reckoning with the truth, Trump and his Republican allies have spent years trying to rewrite history — calling January 6 a ‘day of love,’ minimizing the violence, and even glorifying those who attacked law enforcement. As one of the first acts of his second term, Trump issued nearly 1,600 pardons and commutations to individuals charged in connection with the insurrection, including hundreds of convicted felons, many of whom brutally assaulted police officers sworn to protect our democracy.

“Trump’s attacks on our democratic system did not end on January 6. He continues to deny the outcome of the 2020 election, refuses to unequivocally condemn political violence, and promotes conspiracy theories that further endanger public officials. At his direction, Republicans have pushed voter suppression laws, partisan gerrymandering, and mid-decade redistricting schemes designed to rig elections instead of winning them.

“The attempt to overturn a free and fair election — as Donald Trump did in 2020 — is an assault on democracy itself. And it is an assault we must confront with truth, courage, and resolve.

“As we mark the fifth anniversary of the January 6 attack, and as our nation approaches the 250th year of American democracy, Democrats will continue to stand firmly for the rule of law, for free and fair elections, and for the simple principle that in America, voters choose their leaders — not the other way around.”

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