The Department of Justice has been actively removing news releases from its official website that detail criminal cases related to the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Per ABC News, the decision is being framed by the department as a necessary step to strip away “partisan propaganda.” It’s a startling example of how the Trump administration is reframing its own history, triggering intense reactions from those who see it as historical revisionism.
The reaction on X has been particularly sharp. Melanie D’Arrigo highlighted the pattern, suggesting that if you stop measuring or reporting on certain events, you effectively erase them from the public consciousness. She used a few telling examples, “If we erase January 6th, it didn’t happen. If we don’t release certain inflation data, there’s no inflation If we stop Covid testing, we’ll have fewer cases.”
She finished by stating, “The Trump administration wants you to believe their propaganda is fact, and control the majority of mainstream media and social platforms to reinforce their lies. This is what authoritarianism looks like.” Another user, SEC Champions, echoed this sentiment, posting, “We are fully into a 1984 government. And somehow the party of “limited government” was the one that ushered it in.”
To understand their take, you have to look at the extent to which the government is scrubbing the public record
The purge includes documentation of criminal charges, convictions, and sentencing that were previously available for public review. Among the specific items removed from the site were releases concerning seditious conspiracy cases against members of the far-right extremist groups, Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, who were central to the attack on the Capitol.
In a recent move, the Justice Department asked a federal appeals court to vacate those specific seditious conspiracy convictions, a request that was granted on Thursday. According to AP News, by Friday, the department moved to formally dismiss the cases against these group members entirely.
Additionally, the DOJ has sought to erase convictions for figures like Stewart Rhodes, who was originally sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the attack. The Biden administration had seen these guilty verdicts as a victory for law, but Trump has treated them as obstacles.
Even former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who suffered a heart attack after being shocked with a stun gun during the riot, was disappointed but not surprised at the dismantling of these prosecutions. “I would remind Americans that these were traitors to this country,” Fanone said. “They planned, incited and carried out an insurrection.”
This is just the latest chapter in a broader effort by the Trump administration to rewrite the events of that day. When a journalist on Friday noted that the department was quietly removing these records, the Justice Department’s own official rapid response account fired back, stating there was nothing quiet about the decision.
“We are proud to reverse the DOJ’s weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes,” the post said. “This includes stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.”
The administration’s strategy goes well beyond just deleting website content. On his first day back in office in January 2025, President Donald Trump pardoned, commuted the sentences of, or vowed to dismiss the cases of all 1,500-plus individuals charged in connection with the Capitol assault. This includes people who were convicted of using weapons.
Trump also recently announced a $1.776 billion fund to compensate allies who believe they were unjustly targeted. Per AP News, this fund, which is being overseen by a five-member commission appointed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, has been labeled a slush fund by critics.
Democratic lawmakers like Senator Elizabeth Warren have described the move as corruption on steroids. Echoing the sentiment, Representative Jamie Raskin called it a racket designed to funnel taxpayer money to those who participated in the violence. It has even startled many GOP lawmakers who have been critical of the action.
While the Justice Department claims the fund provides a formal process for those targeted for ideological or personal reasons, it remains unclear if those convicted of violent assaults on officers will be eligible for payouts. When asked about this, President Trump said that eligibility would be dependent on a committee.
At the end, it’s important to realize that this move is clearly meant to create a specific narrative of history over official records of the past. Thus, in the eyes of the current leadership, the history of January 6 is no longer a matter of legal record, but a narrative to be rewritten.
Published: May 25, 2026 10:24 am