Early in the monologue, Kimmel reminded viewers of the significance of the date, which followed Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in the 2020 presidential election. He warned against what he described as attempts to rewrite history surrounding the insurrection.
“I think it’s very important that we do not forget that, that we don’t give in to this revisionist history,” Kimmel said. He went on to accuse Trump of trying to “overthrow our government in a pathetic and illegal attempt to stay in the White House,” sarcastically wishing viewers a “happy stormeversary.”
Kimmel also praised former Vice President Mike Pence for certifying the election results despite pressure from Trump, saying Pence chose “the Constitution over his running mate.”
The late-night host described the events of Jan. 6 as a violent and deadly riot incited by Trump, who he said watched the chaos unfold on television for hours before reluctantly urging his supporters to leave. Kimmel called the episode “selfish, disgraceful, tyrannical, and dangerous.”
The account from the Trump administration stands in stark contrast. The White House’s official Instagram page posted a message claiming that “thousands of Americans paid the price for failures they didn’t create,” asserting that Trump delivered pardons and alleging that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi bore responsibility, while accusing the media of lying.
The administration also released a timeline on the White House website that portrayed Trump supporters as “orderly” and “peaceful,” a description that ABC News reported “grossly mischaracterized events.”
The Jan. 6 attack left several people dead and injured more than 100 law enforcement officers. After Trump’s inauguration for a second term, he pardoned more than 1,500 people who had been charged or convicted in connection with the riot. Some of those individuals have since been arrested again for unrelated crimes.
Five years on, the anniversary continues to expose deep divisions over how one of the most turbulent days in modern American political history is remembered—and who is held accountable for it.
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