Five years after a pro-Trump mob stormed the United States Capitol, the White House has come under fire for publishing and defending a website filled with partisan claims and historical inaccuracies about the event.
White House Press Secretary Defends Contentious Memorial
During a press briefing on Wednesday 7 January 2026, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt staunchly defended the site. She argued that the media continues to focus on January 6 because they believe the American people still accept their narrative. "They think it's something that still helps their case against this president," Leavitt stated. "Obviously not, or else he wouldn't have been reelected in an overwhelming fashion in November of last year."
Her comments were a direct response to a lengthy question from reporter Cara Castronuova of LindellTV, a channel allied with Trump supporter Mike Lindell. Castronuova repeated claims that Democrats and mainstream media have promoted a "big lie" that the riot was an insurrection and that police officers died that day. It is an established fact, reported by outlets including The Independent, that officers involved in the response died in the days and weeks following January 6.
Disputed Claims and Partisan Narratives
The White House website itself is a focal point of the controversy. It refers to the nearly 1,600 individuals prosecuted for their roles as "patriotic Americans" who were "peaceful protesters treated as insurrectionists by a weaponized Biden DOJ." Many of these individuals were later pardoned by Donald Trump.
The site also revisits several disputed claims. It describes the actions of then-Vice President Mike Pence, who certified the 2020 election results, as a "betrayal of the president" and an act of "cowardice and sabotage." This references Trump's failed pressure campaign on Pence to halt the certification of Joe Biden's victory, a process that culminated in rioters chanting threats to "hang Mike Pence."
Furthermore, the website addresses the death of Rosanne Boyland, a 34-year-old Trump supporter from Georgia. While the site and some right-wing media allege police brutality, the official cause of death was ruled acute amphetamine intoxication, linked to a medical prescription. Video analysis by The New York Times and accounts from her brother-in-law suggest she was trampled in a crowd surge.
The Lasting Shadow of the 2020 Election
The January 6 riot was the violent climax of a months-long effort by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump persistently made false claims of a stolen election and pressured officials to "find" votes. On the day itself, he publicly urged Vice President Pence to reject electors, a move intended to send the process back to states where slates of "false electors" were being organised.
The site's release coincides with recent testimony from former Special Counsel Jack Smith, who indicated his office was confident it could have secured a conviction against Trump for conspiracy to overturn the election had Trump not been reelected and thus shielded from prosecution by Department of Justice guidelines.
The White House website flatly denies any involvement from Trump in the day's events or that it constituted an attempt to "overthrow the government." This ongoing defence of a disputed historical record ensures that the events of January 6 remain a deeply divisive and potent force in American politics.
