WASHINGTON—Nearly a year after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, Americans are divided over how serious it was, who is to blame and the punishments that have been imposed, underscoring the broader polarization facing the country and fanning concerns about the state of the democracy.
A recent Quinnipiac poll found that 93% of Democrats and 56% of independents considered it an attack on the government, while only 29% of Republicans said the same. A Pew Research Center poll showed a declining share of Republicans who believe it is important that rioters be prosecuted, with 57% expressing support in September, down from 79% in March—while Democrats were steady at 95%.
The events of Jan. 6 are now the focus of congressional and criminal investigations. While Democrats plan a Capitol vigil to mark the anniversary, former President Donald Trump has promised a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate to revisit his false claims of a rigged election, allegations that helped drive the Jan. 6 riot.
Interviews with voters across the U.S. reveal disparate impressions of the day, with some describing it as a dangerous attack on democracy, others viewing it as a protest that got out of hand and still others saying Democrats and the news media have overblown the severity of the attack.
“It’s just ugly, an ugly time,” said Judy Bouffleur, 80 years old, of La Crosse, Wis. “It’s OK to protest something that you disagree with but this was just—I was just horrified. To me Jan. 6 is a culmination of our lack of respect for each other. It’s been leading up to that for years.”
‘To me Jan. 6 is a culmination of our lack of respect for each other. It’s been leading up to that for years.’— Judy Bouffleur of La Crosse, Wis.
Roy Barlow, of Dartmouth, Mass., said the protesters “looked like they were on a guided tour.” Mr. Barlow, who gave his age as over 50, said that “outside some initial violence getting over some barricades to get inside, they just walked around the Capitol.”
The attack took place the day Congress was meeting to certify the Electoral College results and President Biden’s victory. The day of the riot, Mr. Trump addressed a noontime crowd at a “Stop the Steal” rally at the Ellipse and encouraged supporters to march to the Capitol. Hundreds then clashed with police, scaling walls and smashing windows. One intruder, Ashli Babbitt, was shot dead by a Capitol police officer, who was later cleared of wrongdoing. Several police officers were severely injured.
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Mr. Trump was impeached in the House over his role, and acquitted in the Senate despite seven GOP senators voting guilty along with all Democrats, with the tally short of the two-thirds needed to convict.
Text messages recently released by the Jan. 6 House committee indicate a number of people close to the president saw the attack as dangerous and wanted him to intervene quickly.
The text messages, sent to then-chief of staff Mark Meadows, “leave no doubt that the White House knew exactly what was happening here at the Capitol,” said the committee’s vice chairwoman, Rep. Liz Cheney (R., Wyo.), one of the few outspoken GOP critics of Mr. Trump. “Our democracy was inches from ruin,” said panel chairman Bennie Thompson (D., Miss.).
Mr. Trump eventually released a video that day telling supporters “we love you” but also “go home in peace.”
Then-President Donald Trump’s role Jan. 6 remains an uncomfortable subject for many Republican lawmakers.PHOTO: MANDEL NGAN/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
A year later, the riot and Mr. Trump’s role remain an uncomfortable subject for many Republican lawmakers. Mr. Trump has characterized the Jan. 6 attack as a simple protest and claimed the actual “insurrection took place on Nov. 3,” referring to Election Day. Several GOP senators declined to say what they thought of those remarks when asked in recent weeks.
“I don’t have anything for you on that,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.). “I’d have to see all that in context,” said Sen. James Lankford (R., Okla.). “I think it’s really time to move on,” said Sen. Roger Marshall (R., Kan.). “We should be talking about inflation,” he added.
The public is also splintered over Mr. Trump’s false assertion the election was rigged. Three out of four Republicans in an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll conducted in October said Mr. Trump was right to question whether the election was rigged due to “real cases of fraud that changed the results.” There is no evidence of widespread fraud, and audits of millions of ballots in key states affirmed the presidential result.
Some voters question whether the events and investigation of Jan. 6 were intended to keep Mr. Trump out of office, while others reject that view.
“I think it was set up to make Trump look bad. He didn’t say ‘Go riot,’ ” said Christine Perozeni, 72, of Parma, Ohio, who like other Trump supporters questioned whether there were instigators in the crowd. “I’m telling you, there’s an entity out there that will do anything they can to keep Donald Trump from being in office ever again,” said Marcia Focht, 63, of Tiffin, Ohio.
“I hold Trump absolutely responsible,” said James Roush, 73, of Tempe, Ariz. An independent voter who said he has supported candidates from both parties, these days he is unhappy with the GOP’s embrace of Mr. Trump. “The way they’re trying to capture the rhetoric to mold a message around falsehoods just sickens me,” he said.
While Congress was meeting to certify the Electoral College results, hundreds of protesters converged on the Capitol.PHOTO: ERIC LEE/BLOOMBERG NEWS
There is evidence of only a handful of rioters with left-wing affiliations. More than 700 people have been charged in connection with the attack, and face a variety of charges depending on their alleged involvement in the violence.
“I wouldn’t call it an insurrection; I would call it a gathering of rather stupid people,” said Greg Tate, 70, also of Tempe. He believes the former president could have done more to stop the riot. Mr. Tate also said he believes some prosecutions have been too aggressive. “I don’t mind the statement of ‘Hey you can’t attack our country,’ but I think that people have rights too,” he said.
Others expressed concern about broader disillusionment with the government.
“Listen, I do think people are actively considering giving up on democracy in this country. And that does explain part of the reason why people marched on us, why people tried to overthrow the government,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn). “We’ve got to show people that government can deliver for them,” he said, arguing for passage of Mr. Biden’s stalled economic agenda.
Jeremey Stewart, 45, a Trump voter from Pueblo, Colo., rejected labeling Jan. 6 an insurrection. But, he said, “I believe there may be one coming. There are enough Americans that are getting fed up with this game that’s being played, this political game.”
‘I wouldn’t call it an insurrection; I would call it a gathering of rather stupid people.’— Greg Tate of Tempe, Ariz.
For Anthony Pardal, 36, of Reston, Va., the attack felt personal. He once worked in the Capitol for a Democratic senator and met his future wife there. The memory of what happened shouldn’t fade or be sanitized, he said.
“What’s it going to be like next time if we continue to go down this route where we kind of split off into our tribes and there’s no accountability? I know people kind of roll their eyes but our democracy really is fragile,” Mr. Pardal said.
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