1:58President Donald Trump speaks to House Republicans at their yearly issues conference retreat, held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, on January 6, 2026. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
On Tuesday, the White House attempted to revise the narrative surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, launching a new webpage that characterized the pro-Trump demonstrators as "peaceful" and "orderly" while alleging that police escalated the situation and instigated violence.
The timeline provided by the administration significantly misrepresented certain events of the day, minimizing President Donald Trump's statements prior to the outbreak of violence and incorrectly asserting that the 2020 election had been stolen.
Timeline released on the White House website detailing what it claims truly occurred on Jan. 6, 2021.The White House
Tuesday marked the fifth anniversary of the unprecedented assault, during which over 100 law enforcement officers sustained injuries and multiple individuals lost their lives. Approximately 1,500 individuals faced charges related to Jan. 6, although Trump granted extensive pardons to those individuals on the inaugural day of his second term.
Trump briefly acknowledged the anniversary while addressing House Republicans at the recently renamed Kennedy Center on Tuesday morning. He criticized the House select committee that investigated him, claiming it failed to report on his remarks that day urging supporters to march "peacefully and patriotically" to the Capitol.
Trump supporters engage with U.S. Capitol police and security personnel as they attempt to breach the Capitol Building in Washington, January 6, 2021.Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
The webpage released by the White House went further. In its timeline, it referred to the crowd as "orderly and spirited" while asserting that the Capitol Police’s response heightened tensions.
"Capitol Police indiscriminately deployed tear gas, flashbangs, and rubber munitions into crowds of nonviolent protesters, injuring many and intentionally escalating tensions. Video footage reveals officers inexplicably removing barricades, opening Capitol doors, and even ushering attendees inside the building — actions that facilitated entry — while simultaneously employing violent measures against others. These inconsistent and inflammatory tactics transformed a peaceful demonstration into disorder," the website’s timeline states.
President Donald Trump speaks to House Republicans at their yearly issues conference retreat, held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, January 6, 2026. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The White House website claimed Trump called for calm on that day and "consistently advocates for non-violence despite the attack on participants and heightened emotions."
ABC News has reached out to Capitol Police for a response.
Several Trump supporters perished on Jan. 6: Ashli Babbitt, Kevin Greeson, Rosanne Boyland, and Benjamin Philips. Several law enforcement personnel — including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick — later died, with some fatalities occurring by suicide.
Out of approximately 1,583 defendants charged by prosecutors regarding the attack, 608 were charged with assaulting, resisting, or interfering with law enforcement attempting to safeguard the complex that day. Approximately 174 of those 608 faced charges for utilizing a deadly or dangerous weapon or otherwise inflicting serious injury upon an officer, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com