Your guide to Jan. 6 anniversary coverage

Jan 06, 2022

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By Ryan Lizza, Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels

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DRIVING THE DAY

Jan. 6 is about DONALD TRUMP.

For those who always despised him, feel betrayed by him, or fear his return to power, today is about remembering — never forgetting — his lowest point as president: the day he incited a mob to attack Congress while it affirmed JOE BIDEN's clear victory, the final desperate move in a plot to overthrow an American presidential election.

For those who love him, merely tolerate him, or crave his return to the White House, today is a media stunt: a contrived anniversary of an insignificant event boosted by Democrats and the press to punish Republicans and cynically advance Biden's legislative priorities.

Americans often have a shared understanding about big traumatic national events. That is not the case with Jan. 6, which is why the cliché about our politics feeling like a civil war has more and more resonance.

We're going to guide you through the smartest of the Jan. 6 coverage out there this morning to help you understand this day. Let's begin with the new American Civil War.

John Harris wonders what exactly it's about:

"Only in recent years have we seen foundation-shaking political conflict — both sides believing the other would turn the United States into something unrecognizable — with no obvious and easily summarized root cause. What is the fundamental question that hangs in the balance between the people who hate Trump and what he stands for and the people who love Trump and hate those who hate him? This is less an ideological conflict than a psychological one."

He suggests that when it's not about deep-seated principles, almost anything can be a new front in the war:

"The transcendent issue of this time — no matter the specific raw material of any given news cycle — is the belief that one half of the country suspects the other half is contemptuous of them, and responds with contempt in turn. 'Seinfeld' was not really, as was often said, 'a show about nothing.' It demonstrated instead that with the right characters and frame of mind, you can make a show about anything that might happen in daily life. Donald Trump has shown that you can use the same approach to create a national crack-up. The violent rabble that crashed the Capitol a year ago showed that crack-ups are fertile ground for crackpots."

Kyle Cheney has a masterful piece that explores Jan. 6's most crucial 187 minutes, the period of time between the initial breach of the Capitol and when Trump finally told his supporters to leave. Taking readers through the timeline with some detail, Cheney explores the remaining mysteries of that day and how the Jan. 6 committee may answer them.

Carl Hulse writes in the NYT about how Jan. 6 "transform[ed] how lawmakers view their surroundings and one another":

Rep. JIM McGOVERN (D-Mass.): "I have colleagues, to be honest with you, I can't stand looking at, and I don't want to get into an elevator with them when we are going to roll-call votes."

Sen. DICK DURBIN (D-Ill.): "Have you ever had your house broken into or been a victim of a burglary, and when you walked back into the house it felt differently, it felt violated? I felt that way for the longest time — and I still do."

Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-Minn.): "I remember [the Capitol police officers] with their faces cut, and I see and talk to them every day. It is the faces of the officers that trigger that day for me. It is a constant reminder of what they did and what they are still up against."

The NYT has a pair of pieces on the post-Jan. 6 GOP , one about Trump's "continued grip on the party" and one about the price paid by Republicans who have challenged Trump in the last year. The first piece, by Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman, includes a reminder about the two Republicans who have had the most dramatic whiplash regarding Trump: LINDSEY GRAHAM, who went from declaring "Count me out," on Jan. 6 to hitting the links with Trump not long after; and KEVIN MCCARTHY , who went from proclaiming Trump "bears responsibility" for the attack to flying down to Mar-a-Lago to make amends days later.

In the second piece, Jonathan Weisman and Luke Broadwater trace the "long, hard year" for the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump — one marked by retirements, primary challenges and exiles to pariah status within the party. The story highlights the two most consistent GOP opponents of Trump, ADAM KINZINGER and LIZ CHENEY, who says, "Our party has to choose. We can either be loyal to Donald Trump, or we can be loyal to the Constitution, but we cannot be both."

At WaPo, Ashley Parker, Amy Gardner and Josh Dawsey trace the last year of the GOP becoming "the party of Trump's election lie after Jan. 6."

A quote from Michigan A.G. DANA NESSEL, a Democrat being challenged by a Trump-backed Republican who believes in the whole enchilada of 2020 conspiracy theories, will stay with you:

"There is no question that if I am replaced by MATTHEW DePERNO, democracy falls in Michigan. Not maybe. Not possibly. Certainly. He has made it clear not only that he supports the 'Big Lie' — he's one of the originators of the 'Big Lie.'"

On the WSJ op-ed page, Karl Rove is blunt:

"My criticisms are often aimed at Democrats; on the anniversary of Jan. 6, I'm addressing squarely those Republicans who for a year have excused the actions of the rioters who stormed the Capitol, disrupted Congress as it received the Electoral College's results, and violently attempted to overturn the election. …

"I've been a Republican my entire life, and believe in what the Republican Party, at its best, has represented for decades. There can be no soft-pedaling what happened and no absolution for those who planned, encouraged and aided the attempt to overthrow our democracy. Love of country demands nothing less. That's true patriotism."

On the WaPo's op-ed page, George Conway reminds readers that A.G. MERRICK GARLAND said this week that "the Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law — whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy."

Conway's conclusion? "If Garland means what he says, then the investigative road must lead prosecutors to the individual most responsible for the events of Jan. 6: former president Donald Trump."

He also writes that such a potential prosecution is one reason Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL voted to acquit Trump at his impeachment trial. "We have a criminal justice system in this country," McConnell said on the Senate floor at the time. "President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office … He didn't get away with anything yet. Yet."

On the NYT's op-ed page, former President JIMMY CARTER issued this warning: "Our great nation now teeters on the brink of a widening abyss. Without immediate action, we are at genuine risk of civil conflict and losing our precious democracy. Americans must set aside differences and work together before it is too late."

Later today, President JOE BIDEN will talk about Jan. 6. The subject of his remarks? Donald Trump and attacks on democracy. Here's a preview provided by the White House:

"And so at this moment we must decide what kind of nation we are going to be. Are we going to be a nation that accepts political violence as a norm? Are we going to be a nation where we allow partisan election officials to overturn the legally expressed will of the people? Are we going to be a nation that lives not by the light of the truth but in the shadow of lies? We cannot allow ourselves to be that kind of nation. The way forward is to recognize the truth and to live by it."

NYT's Peter Baker writes a news analysis : "America has not come together to defend its democracy; it has only split further apart. Lies and disinformation spread by the former president have so permeated the political ecosphere that nearly universal outrage has reverted to separate blue and red realities. Far from shunned for what even his own vice president deemed an unconstitutional attempt to thwart the will of the voters, Mr. Trump remains the undisputed powerhouse of his party — and a viable candidate to reclaim the White House in three years."

Good Thursday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line and tell us what you think of today's coverage of Jan. 6: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri.

A NEW GANG OF EIGHT — Axios' Sophia Cai and Andrew Solender reported Wednesday night that a bipartisan group of eight senators met on Zoom to discuss reforming the Electoral Count Act, the obscure law that Trump tried to use to overturn the election. SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine) convened the meeting, which also included ROGER WICKER (R-Miss.), THOM TILLIS (R-N.C.), MITT ROMNEY (R-Utah), JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.), JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) and KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.).

Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER and the White House want nothing to do with it. Democratic leaders have been focused on forcing through the party's broader voting bill, which would lower barriers to voting, reform campaign finance rules and seek to curb gerrymandering.

"There is no substitute. Period," White House spokesperson ANDREW BATES told our Burgess Everett, who scooped Wednesday that McConnell is interested in a possible ECA overhaul.

Progressives and liberal groups are warning that the GOP embrace of ECA reform is a "trap" to keep Democrats from getting their more sweeping reforms through. Still, the optics are perplexing: Democrats are slapping down an offer to try to prevent a future president from doing what Trump tried to do to Biden — steal his election victory — on the eve of the Jan. 6 anniversary, no less.

ONE TAKEAWAY: The existence of this new bipartisan group, and any continuing discussions about reforming ECA, will undercut Schumer's plans to pressure Manchin and Sinema into going nuclear to pass the party's voting bill. That may help explain why Schumer is so vocally opposed — and why McConnell is entertaining it.

BIDEN'S THURSDAY:

— 9 a.m.: The president and VP KAMALA HARRIS will deliver remarks at the Capitol to mark the Jan. 6 anniversary.

— 11:20 a.m.: Biden will receive the President's Daily Brief.

HARRIS' THURSDAY: The VP will also swear in JULISSA REYNOSO PANTALEON as U.S. ambassador to Spain and Andorra at 5:30 p.m.

Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 1 p.m.

THE SENATE will meet at 10:30 a.m. to take up AMITABHA BOSE's nomination to lead the Federal Railroad Administration. There will be a moment of silence to mark the Jan. 6 anniversary at noon.

THE HOUSE is out. Speaker NANCY PELOSI will lead a moment of silence for the Jan. 6 anniversary.

— 10:45 a.m.: Klobuchar and Schumer will lead more than a dozen colleagues in floor speeches marking the anniversary.

— 1 p.m.: Schumer and Pelosi will hold a discussion with Librarian of Congress CARLA HAYDEN, DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN and JON MEACHAM.

— 2:30 p.m.: Members of Congress will offer testimonials about Jan. 6.

— 5:30 p.m.: Schumer and Pelosi will lead a bicameral prayer vigil.

— 8 p.m.: CNN will host a discussion live from the Capitol with Pelosi, Jan. 6 committee chair BENNIE THOMPSON (D-Miss.), vice chair Cheney, other lawmakers and police officers.

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

The Capitol is pictured. | Getty Images

The U.S. Capitol is seen at sunset on Wednesday, Jan. 5. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

PLAYBOOK READS

WATCH: The legacy of the Jan. 6 committee … and what's still left to do: One year after the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol, the House select committee's investigation into what happened that day is far from over. Much of the committee's work has been behind closed doors, but the bipartisan group of lawmakers plan to enter a more public phase in 2022. This week, Kyle Cheney joins Ryan to answer a big question: What has the Jan. 6 committee accomplished so far?

THE PANDEMIC

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S PANDEMIC FUMBLES — The NYT is out with a pair of interesting reads highlighting recent pandemic embarrassments for the White House.

1) CDC MESSAGING: Sharon LaFraniere, Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Noah Weiland spotlight CDC Director ROCHELLE WALENSKY's move before Christmas to shorten isolation periods, which ANTHONY FAUCI questioned publicly in short order. It took the CDC more than a week to clarify whether people needed to first get a negative test before coming out of quarantine, and even now Americans remain confused.

As the trio write, Biden sought to restore trust in the CDC following the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic. "Yet in his first year of battling the coronavirus, Mr. Biden has presided over a series of messaging failures that have followed a familiar pattern, with Dr. Walensky and her team making what experts say are largely sound decisions, but fumbling in communicating them to America."

2) THE TESTING FIASCO: In the newspaper's "Coronavirus Briefing" newsletter , pandemic reporter Carl Zimmer ripped the Biden administration over testing and masks: "It's striking that we are not better able to deal with a new surge two years into the pandemic. Scientists have been warning that this virus, like all viruses, would mutate, so we needed to be ready for change. … And yet, in the U.S., we're in this latest surge without a strong testing capacity to deal with it, without a system to get people good masks, which we know can help. And so there's just chaos.

"The Biden administration is now saying it's going to give out 500 million tests. Those tests aren't going to be coming in for at least a couple of more weeks — deep into this surge. And it's not enough. It's basically like waiting until half the house is burned down before you send in the firefighters — and you send one small fire engine."

Meanwhile, this RON KLAIN tweet from June 26, 2020 has resurfaced and is being widely mocked even by fellow Democrats: "Testing still isn't fixed. Testing still isn't fixed. Testing still isn't fixed," he wrote, criticizing the Trump administration. "We are the richest country on Earth, and we don't have enough SWABS. Testing still isn't fixed. Testing still isn't fixed."

NEITHER RAIN NOR SNOW NOR OMICRON — On top of it all, it looks the pandemic might start affecting your mail delivery. The USPS is asking the White House to temporary waive its vaccine requirement for postal workers, saying that "requiring workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or present weekly negative tests would hurt the agency's ability to deliver the mail and strain the nation's supply chains," WaPo's Jacob Bogage reports.

GREENLIGHTED — The CDC recommended the use of the Pfizer vaccine booster for children ages 12 to 17. WaPo's Lena Sun and Katie Shepherd have more.

MEANWHILE, via WaPo: "More than 4,000 children were hospitalized with covid-19 across the nation Wednesday, Washington Post figures show, marking a new high that towers above previous peaks set during the summer when the delta variant was driving up infections."

ALL POLITICS

KATKO ON A HOT TIN ROOF — Michael Kruse has a must-read profile of Rep. JOHN KATKO (R-N.Y.), who voted to impeach Trump but has so far withstood the former president's attempts to ruin him politically as he faces two pro-Trump primary challengers:

"In and around New York's 'Central City,' with its test-market tendencies and its affinity for politicians with a moderate mien, Katko, 59, has fostered a bipartisan reputation in this increasingly partisan time. Those to his right say he's too far to the left. Those to his left say he's too far to the right. It's more than merely a feel; Katko consistently rates as one of Washington's most willing and effective middle-of-the-road, across-the-aisle lawmakers. It's positioning that's worked: Katko was reelected in 2016 when Hillary Clinton won in his district. He was reelected in 2018 when dozens of similarly situated Republicans weren't. And he was reelected in 2020 when he won his district by 10 points and Biden won it by nine — the nation's largest such spread.

"And now — even still — Katko could win again."

BEYOND THE BELTWAY

IN ARIZONA — Maricopa County officials released a report Wednesday that affirmed the November 2020 presidential election within the county "was administered properly and not marred by fraud," WaPo's Rosalind Helderman writes. "County officials said the blunt rebuttal, released on the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, was intended to highlight the ongoing dangers of unfounded claims of mass election fraud."

AND IN CHI-TOWN — Shia Kapos and Nick Niedzwiadek break down the mess in Chicago this week after the city's teachers union voted to not return to in-person instruction, shutting down public schools: "It helps to know the key ingredient: A Democratic mayor and one of the city's most powerful labor groups can't stand each other. An increasingly toxic relationship between the Chicago Teachers Union and Mayor LORI LIGHTFOOT has been waiting to explode for months — if not years. The Omicron variant turned out to be the spark."

Regarding this latest conflict, Lightfoot said that "there are so many things we could partner on … Instead, they chose an illegal, unilateral action that throws the whole system into chaos and makes us a laughingstock all across the country."

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

NORD STREAM 2 SANCTIONS DEBATE — The Senate is set to vote next week on TED CRUZ-sponsored legislation that would force Biden to impose sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. But some Democrats — though generally supportive of getting tough with Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN — are balking, concerned such a move would undercut Biden abroad. More details from our Andrew Desiderio

TRUMP CARDS

TROUBLE FOR TOM — Via CNBC's Dan Mangan: "Private equity investor TOM BARRACK will go on trial with a business associate in September on charges of illegally lobbying former President Donald Trump, his close friend, on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. The trial of Barrack and his associate MATTHEW GRIMES will take place in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, N.Y. Jury selection was set for Sept. 7."

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

PLAYBOOKERS

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Overnight, The Daily Show team erected what it's calling "'Heroes of the Freedomsurrection,' a monument installation containing the busts of eight 'patriots'" involved in Jan. 6.: Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, Reps. Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon.

The installation went up at 23rd and Broadway in Manhattan. Each bust has a placard describing the person's role in Jan. 6 and signage includes this language:

"Heroes of the Freedomsurrection honors eight of the patriots who tried to overthrow their country on January 6, 2021 — and failed miserably. Please don't tear down these monuments, because history." Pic

Eric Adams has a finger in a splint after injuring it by "shaking a police officer's hand." (h/t David Freedlander)

Chuck Schumer took a bike ride with David Byrne.

Tim Kaine posted a picture of the remnants of his nightmare on I-95.

Harry Reid's funeral will feature musical performances by Carole King and The Killers' lead singer, Brandon Flowers. "They're hot," Reid once said of The Killers. (h/t Jennifer Epstein)

Michael Carvajal, "a Trump administration holdover who's been at the center of myriad crises within the federal prison system," is resigning, per the AP, which exposed widespread problems at the Bureau of Prisons.

The U.S. Capitol Historical Society is giving its 2021 Freedom Award to Amy Klobuchar, Roy Blunt and Zoe Lofgren, who oversaw the certification of the 2020 election. They're also creating a "January 6 Oral History Project."

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Christine (Chrissy) Harbin is joining Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions as VP of external relations. She most recently was Capitol Hill program director at the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, and is a DOE and Export-Import Bank alum.

VP TEAM MOVES: Peter Velz, director of VP Kamala Harris' press operations, is headed to the Department of State to work in the Protocol office. His departure was reported in November.

MEDIA MOVES — Caroline Kitchener is moving to WaPo's politics team to cover the politics of abortion. She most recently has covered gender for WaPo's The Lily. … Jared Hohlt is leaving Slate after three years as its editor-in-chief.

TRANSITIONS — Jon Temin is joining the Truman Center for National Policy and Truman National Security Project as VP of policy and programs. He most recently was Africa director at Freedom House, and is a State Department alum. … Jennifer Shapiro is joining New York Life's office of governmental affairs as corporate VP. She most recently was chief of staff for Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). … Julie Crimmins is joining Curley Company as VP, group manager. She previously was a VP at Ketchum. …

… Christopher Leach is now a partner in Mayer Brown's litigation and dispute resolution practice. He most recently was at the FTC's Division of Financial Practices. … Maggie McNerney is joining Ketchum as an account supervisor. She previously was a senior director at Dezenhall Resources. … The Center for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue is adding Dan DeLaurentis, Kevin Cirilli and Bret Swanson as senior fellows.

ENGAGED — Kelly Ryan, counsel for the Senate Commerce Committee, and Luis Battista of Morgan Stanley got engaged Christmas Day in Annapolis. They met at a mutual friend's party on Capitol Hill in 2016 and became friends before both moving away, and then reconnected later in D.C. Pic

— Remy Brim, co-head of BGR Group's health and life sciences practice, and Stephen Mason, EVP of regulatory policy at Greenleaf Health, got engaged over the holiday break in their home state of Michigan. They met through their mutual friend Dave Boyer. Pic

BIRTHWEEK (was Wednesday): BCIU's Peter Tichansky

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Olivia Nuzzi … Kate McKinnon … Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) … Eric Trump … WSJ's Kate O'Keeffe and James Taranto … MSNBC's Shaquille Brewster … Tricia Russell … Terri Fariello of United Airlines … Kimball Stroud … POLITICO's Kaitlyn Locke … E&E News' Christa Marshall … Stuart Siciliano of Hamilton Place Strategies … Facebook's Kate Randle … Kathleen Gayle … Joe Hagin … former FBI Director Louis Freeh … former FEMA Director James Lee Witt … Matt Ford … Oregon A.G. Ellen Rosenblum … POLITICO Europe's Kelsey Hayes … Abby Gunderson-Schwarz … Mandy Bowers … Peter O'Keefe … David Polyansky of Clout Public Affairs

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