Wednesday, January 7, 2026- Five years after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Donald Trump’s return to power underscores how thoroughly the political consequences of that day have faded. Once described as a career-ending disgrace, Jan. 6 has been reframed, minimized, or outright dismissed within large parts of the Republican Party and conservative media.
Trump now governs with renewed authority, backed by loyal allies, a reshaped party apparatus, and a voter base that has either forgiven or forgotten the events that once seemed disqualifying.
Institutionally, the fallout has been blunted. Legal cases stalled, narrowed, or lost political urgency, while congressional investigations faded from public focus. Many officials who once condemned Trump have retreated, reversed course, or exited politics altogether.
In their place stands a Republican coalition more aligned with Trump than ever, treating Jan. 6 as a distraction from economic grievances, immigration, and executive power. The message is clear: accountability did not survive sustained political pressure.
Trump’s return signals a broader shift in American political reality. Norm-breaking no longer guarantees lasting consequences if electoral power can be reclaimed. Jan. 6 remains a defining moment in history, but its ability to shape the present has weakened dramatically.
What once looked like a permanent stain has become, for Trump, a footnote—raising urgent questions about the durability of democratic guardrails in an era where political victory can overwrite nearly anything.
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