The effort to rewrite the facts of Jan. 6, 2021, is working. The day is now loaded on both sides of the aisle and a strong reminder of political polarization. It seems like there are no shared facts other than the location and property damage. So maybe the people running the location can do something to rewrite already rewritten history.

The January 6 United States Capitol attack (that’s what we’re calling it since that’s what Wikipedia is calling it and, theoretically, everyone agrees on Wikipedia) was just that: an attack on the United States Capitol. It was a day that affected most everyone in Washington, D.C., and still affects us. It’s difficult to find anyone in this town who doesn’t at least know someone who works in and around the Capitol. For the few who don’t, they were called for jury duty for four years of cases that ultimately were rendered moot when President Donald Trump pardoned everyone who was convicted of crimes stemming from the attack. I am writing from experience. I was instantly dismissed once my background was brought to light. I’m sure most of our readers were as well.

But the facts don’t matter in any court of law if the case is dismissed. It’s a tough pill to swallow that it was all for naught, but the charges, days of jury duty, lawyer’s fees, time and facts were a waste. At least in the eyes of the law.

Facts also don’t matter in the halls of the Capitol either. A plaque honoring law enforcement, a plaque required by law to be displayed, has been delayed by what House GOP leadership has called technical difficulties with the law. The Senate last week passed a resolution to hang it on the Senate side for now.

Winners write history and winners get to determine if they use an eraser. Based on the current administration’s version of events, the Jan. 6 United States Capitol attack wasn’t an attack on democracy, but a peaceful gathering disrupted by disgruntled Democrats.

According to a new page posted on Jan. 6, 2026, about Jan. 6, 2021, on whitehouse.gov, “The Democrats masterfully reversed reality after January 6, branding peaceful patriotic protesters as ‘insurrectionists’ and framing the event as a violent coup attempt orchestrated by Trump — despite no evidence of armed rebellion or intent to overthrow the government. In truth, it was the Democrats who staged the real insurrection by certifying a fraud-ridden election, ignoring widespread irregularities, and weaponizing federal agencies to hunt down dissenters, all while [Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s] own security lapses invited the chaos they later exploited to seize and consolidate power. This gaslighting narrative allowed them to persecute innocent Americans, silence opposition, and distract from their own role in undermining democracy.”

Just like dismissed court cases, the facts don’t matter on official government sites.

If you need yet another reminder that winners (re)write history, on Jan. 6, 2026, Trump spoke about the soon-to-be formerly known as the January 6 United States Capitol attack, at The Kennedy Center, or The Trump Kennedy Center, depending on your loyalty.

And the label on his portrait at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery has been altered to delete references to his impeachments and Jan. 6. According to the AP: “Trump’s original ‘portrait label,’ as the Smithsonian calls it, notes Trump’s Supreme Court nominations and his administration’s development of COVID-19 vaccines. That section concludes: ‘Impeached twice, on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection after supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, he was acquitted by the Senate in both trials.’”

There was also a small gathering of Jan. 6 defendants marching on the Capitol and multiple stories, including one in Roll Call, about how the Democratic messaging about Jan. 6 isn’t going well.

If it did, the guy that maybe, sorta, probably did an insurrection wouldn’t have been able to pardon every single person that attempted to do an insurrection. One side is clearly losing and it’s not the side rewriting history and renaming cultural institutions.

As of this writing, the facts, the motives, the law, the lives lost and public opinion does not matter when it comes to the events of Jan. 6, 2021. The only shared truth is the physical damage to property in and around the Capitol. So maybe that’s where Democrats need to shine a light.

Trump very much cares about city beautification. The National Guard that has been in D.C. for the last seven months and will probably be wandering about for the next 36 months picks up a lot of trash. That seems fine with the administration. While the guard’s not exactly a big hit with the people who actually live in D.C., no one is really complaining about less litter. 

Maybe the way for Dems to stop the bleeding on Jan. 6 messaging is to embrace the agreed upon facts. Glass was shattered in D.C. Maybe they should propose making every Jan. 6 a day of D.C. beautification day.

Similar to how Martin Luther King Jr. Day is now a day of service, future Jan. 6’s could become days of service for Washington, D.C. In theory, this could be something with bipartisan support. Regardless of your stance on the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, no one wants to step on shattered glass, right?

It may seem callous and disrespective to the people who literally fought to preserve democracy to propose such a thing. But as of now, the messaging on the side that fought to uphold institutions and ideals is losing. Rather than focusing on that messaging, maybe a better plan of action might be an acknowledgement of and focus on the destruction.

Brandon Wetherbee is the editor of Recommend If You Like and co-author of “The Donald: How Trump Turned Presidential Politics Into Pro Wrestling.”