Five years ago outside the White House, President Donald Trump addressed supporters and urged them to go to the Capitol as Congress met to affirm the 2020 presidential election results. He told the crowd he would be with them as they protested the outcome.
Later that day, a breach of the U.S. Capitol unfolded as large crowds moved from the White House area down Pennsylvania Avenue. Police confronted demonstrators at security barriers, and parts of the Capitol complex were entered while lawmakers were evacuated as a precaution.
On the fifth anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021, no official bipartisan event is scheduled to commemorate the events of that day. Lawmakers from both parties remain divided over how the breach should be characterized and remembered. A plaque recognizing law enforcement officers who were on duty that day has not been installed.
Instead, Trump is scheduled to meet privately with House Republicans at the Kennedy Center, which was recently renamed, for a policy forum. Democrats plan to hold a hearing featuring witnesses who were present during the breach and later gather on the Capitol steps to mark the anniversary.
Meanwhile, Enrique Tarrio, the 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. Tarrio said the march is intended to honor Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt and others who died in connection with the events of Jan. 6 and their aftermath.
"I ask those that are able to attend please do so," Tarrio wrote on the social media platform X.
Tarrio, who had previously been convicted on charges related to Jan. 6, was among more than 1,500 defendants whose cases were dismissed after Trump issued pardons following his return to the White House last year. Tarrio emphasized that the planned march would be lawful. "This will be a PATRIOTIC and PEACEFUL march. If you have any intention of causing trouble we ask that you stay home," he wrote.
The anniversary reflects the same political divide seen five years ago, when Congress met to certify the election results while large demonstrations were taking place outside the Capitol.
The milestone comes as national attention is focused on other developments, including major U.S. foreign policy actions involving Venezuela and Trump's stated plans to expand American influence in the region's energy sector.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said ahead of the anniversary that the events of Jan. 6 continue to raise questions about democratic norms and the rule of law.
Democrat leaders are reconvening members of the now-concluded Jan. 6 committee to hear testimony from police officers, elected officials, and civilians about their experiences during the Capitol breach.
Among those expected to participate is former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., one of two Republicans who served on the original committee that examined Trump's efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., the other member, is not expected to attend.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., who has been selected by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to lead a new panel reviewing alternative explanations of Jan. 6, dismissed the Democrat hearing as partisan and politically motivated.
Many Republicans dispute claims that Trump was responsible for the Capitol breach and instead point to security failures. These include delays in deploying the National Guard and missed opportunities to detect pipe bombs discovered outside the Republican and Democratic national committee headquarters. Authorities later arrested a Virginia man in connection with the pipe bombs, and investigators said he expressed beliefs related to the 2020 election.
"The Capitol Complex is no more secure today than it was on January 6," Loudermilk said in a social media post, adding that his subcommittee is focused on accountability and preventing future security breakdowns.
Five people died in connection with the events of Jan. 6 and their aftermath, including Babbitt, who was shot by police while attempting to enter a restricted area near the House chamber. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died later, and several law enforcement officers subsequently died by suicide.
The Justice Department previously brought charges against Trump related to efforts to challenge the 2020 election, but the case was later dropped following his reelection, in line with longstanding policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
Trump was impeached by the House in the weeks after Jan. 6 on a charge of incitement, but the Senate acquitted him, with several Republican senators stating that the issue should be addressed through the judicial system rather than impeachment.
Ahead of the 2024 election, the Supreme Court ruled that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution for official acts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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