The Attack: A Three-part Series Documenting the Event of January 6, 2021
Image courtesy of The Washington Post
By Noelia Veras
The Washington Post published a detailed three-part series investigating what happened before, during, and after the insurrection on the capitol. The written series was released on October 31; 75 journalists who were in the field during the attack worked on the piece to provide as many accurate details as possible.
The article covers three categories: before, during, and after the attack on the Capitol. The series is mainly written by the group of journalists; however, there are photographs provided as well as videos, audio files, and Tweets written by important figures that were involved in the insurrection.
For each segment, information is divided by specific time frames belonging to a larger timeline of events. In the section entitled “Before: Red Flags,” The Post counts down from 102 days prior to the insurrection, to the days leading up, to just 18 hours before it began. “During: Bloodshed” covers the day of the event, from 7 hours before its commencement to the final hours marking the end of the attack. Finally, “After: Contagion,” details the aftermath of the attack, directly from the next day to 262 days after the events.
In the first section, the main takeaway is that law enforcement did not follow up on warning signs that indicated violence would take place on January 6. There were alerts in which individuals on social media were indicating that they would violently engage with Congress in solidarity with Former President Donald Trump and to protest election results. It is also mentioned that during the first Presidential Debate, Trump declared “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.” This was a striking comment to make since the group is a far-right organization that promotes violence.
Additionally, in the days before the attack, Pentagon leaders expressed fears about violence due to the election and the possibility that Trump would cause outrage if he lost the election. According to The Post, Trump’s run during the election period also radicalized his supporters, creating extreme unrest within his supporters regarding alleged election fraud. This section also makes it abundantly clear that the Capitol Police Force was very unprepared for a situation like this to happen, and that Trump was encouraging defiance.
“Washington is being inundated with people who don’t want to see an election victory stolen by emboldened Radical Left Democrats,” Trump tweeted on January 5. “Our Country has had enough, they won’t take it anymore! We hear you (and love you) from the Oval Office. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
“Bloodshed. For 187 harrowing minutes, the president watched his supporters attack the Capitol — and resisted pleas to stop them,” stated the article at the beginning of the next section.
In the section entitled “During: Bloodshed,” The Post emphasized that signs of danger were clear, but more security was not called. Trump did not tell his supporters to stand down until over three hours had passed. The Federal Bureau of Investigation had to “improvise a plan to take back control of the Capitol.”
That day, congressional staffers and lawmakers were inside the House chamber for the joint session that began at 1 p.m. to tally the votes of the election and verify that there had been no fraud committed. Former Vice President Mike Pence was presiding over the process.
The Capitol was breached at 2:12 p.m. The series presents intense and numerous videos of insurrectionists storming the building, yelling, and pressuring the short-staffed police officers. An email from the Capitol Police to all of the congressional staff was provided by The Post. The email told them to hide and seek shelter within the building and to await further instructions. Pence stayed in the building with his family in an underground area. The former vice president refused to leave the building. Congressional staff was escorted to an undisclosed location.
Intimate details of the fear that many of the individuals in the building felt are shared in the article. For example, the publication highlights the experience of Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.). Wild called her children, who had texted her after seeing the news reports of what was going on at the Capitol. After trying to assure her son, he said to her: “How can you say you’re okay if we can hear the gunshot and the glass shattering?” According to the article, Wild said to herself: “You’re going to make it out of here, Susan. You’re going to get out of here because your kids need you to get out of here.”
Many friends and allies of Trump tried to get through to him but failed to reach him. Some individuals attempted to contact higher-ups to get through to Trump, such as Sen. Lindsey O. Graham, who called the president’s daughter, Ivanka Trump.
“You need to get these people out of here,” said Graham on the phone. “This thing is going south. This is not good. You’re going to have to tell these people to stand down. Stand down.”
Former White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah messaged Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to do something.
“If someone doesn’t say something, people will die,” Farah said.
Ivanka Trump and Meadows tried to convince Trump to disperse the protestors.
“I need you to come back down here. We’ve got to get this under control,” Meadows told Ivanka Trump.
“I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!” Trump tweeted at 3:13 p.m.
“American Patriots – any security breach or disrespect to our law enforcement is unacceptable. The violence must stop immediately. Please be peaceful,” Ivanka Trump tweeted two minutes later, but deleted it soon after getting criticized for calling the insurrectionists “American Patriots.”
At 4:05 p.m., President Joe Biden made a public statement denouncing the insurrection, calling for it to end. Trump posted a video with ambiguous messaging at 4:17 p.m.
“Go home,” Trump said to his supporters. He followed up by saying: “We love you. You’re very special.”
The National Guard was deployed to the Capitol, two hours after the initial request for its presence. Around 150 members of the D.C. National Guard arrived and a citywide curfew was implemented at 6 p.m.
“These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long,” Trump tweeted at 6:01 p.m. “Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!”
By 7 p.m., government officials cleared the building. At around 8 p.m., Pence called the Senate back into session. What began as 12 senators who objected to counting Arizona’s votes on the grounds of alleged election fraud turned to 6 after the events of the day. At 9:02 p.m. Pelosi called the House into session. The results of this were quite different compared to those of the Senate as 121 members voted against counting Arizona’s votes and 138 members voted against counting the tally from Pennsylvania.
It wasn’t until 3:24 a.m. that Congress voted to confirm the election results. Pence declared Biden the next president of the United States.
For the final section, “After: Contagion,” the article talks about the efforts of some of the Republican party to undermine Congress’ conclusion declaring Biden the President of the United States. This section also focuses on the trauma that first responders have experienced since the events and those that were present as well. The article finishes off by detailing Trump’s efforts to disprove and discredit the 2020 Election results, contradicting officials who have audited votes in Arizona that clarify that Biden won.
The article is extensive and details stories and moments that have been largely not known by the general public. According to The Washington Post: “This project is based on interviews with more than 230 people and thousands of pages of court documents and internal law enforcement reports, as well as hundreds of videos, photographs and audio clips.”
