WASHINGTON — Extra fencing and a couple of Democrat-sponsored events were some of the only signs in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday that marked the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
House Democrats held an unofficial hearing Tuesday examining the aftermath of the 2021 melee, when supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump breached the Capitol to protest the certification of the 2020 election results. The hours-long hearing featured testimony from a former Capitol Police officer and former and current lawmakers, including Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham.
Sewell recounted how she and other members of Congress were trapped in the House gallery as the rioters tried to break into the House chamber.
“If I close my eyes, I can still hear the thundering sound of the mob and the pounding of the door of the House chamber,” she said.
On the Senate floor Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who objected to the 2020 election results on Jan. 6, blamed Democrats for “rewriting” the history of the Capitol riot. He also objected to Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California’s request to pass a resolution via unanimous consent to observe the fifth anniversary of the attack.
Tuberville also claimed that the Jan. 6 rioters, who Trump pardoned at the beginning of his second term, including convicted violent offenders, were “innocent patriotic Americans.”
“That is one of the most embarrassing things that I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Tuberville said. “Thankfully, most of them now have been released.”
My full objection to @SenateDems RIDICULOUS attempts to rewrite history when it comes to the January 6th HOAX. https://t.co/Amxo85ZApn pic.twitter.com/FY79zhRFgA
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) January 6, 2026
Sewell said Jan. 6, like Bloody Sunday and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, are moments that “have tested us as a nation.” She said the events can lead to change and healing or become forgotten. She hopes Democratic efforts to keep the memory of Jan. 6 alive will ensure the riot is never forgotten.
“January 6th was a dark day in our nation’s history and I hope that we can all work together to ensure that such a heinous attack never, ever, ever happens again,” Sewell said.
On the Senate steps, House and Senate Democrats held a candlelight vigil Tuesday evening to remember those who died because of Jan. 6. Five people died in the attack and aftermath and more than 140 police officers were injured, according to the Associated Press. The lawmakers also ended the night by singing God Bless America under the glow of the Capitol.
“We must never, never, never stop fighting for this beautiful democracy, which January 6th showed us is more fragile than we ever imagined,” Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said.
After Tuberville spoke, multiple Senate Democrats also spoke on the Senate floor, sharing their stories of what they witnessed five years ago.
In a speech to House Republicans at their retreat at the Kennedy Center, Trump denied his role in inciting violence and attacked those who have investigated him over Jan. 6. Trump said he intended for his supporters to go to the Capitol “peacefully and patriotically” and blamed the media for not reporting on that section of his speech.
Separately, the White House launched a new website on Tuesday detailing its narrative of what happened during the attack, accusing Democrats of “gaslighting” the American people about what transpired.