I did not write about Jan. 6, 2021 until five days later. It wasn’t that I was too busy or in shock.

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I did not write about Jan. 6, 2021 until five days later. It wasn’t that I was too busy or in shock. Rather, I wanted to make sure I had processed the day and had time to reflect on what I wanted to say. This year, I did the same. No writing, no interviews, no podcasts. Nothing on the day itself.

The shock of that terrible day has long since worn off. I have fully processed that day. I know exactly what it means to me and our country.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Donald Trump instigated a violent insurrection in the Capitol aimed at preventing the certification of the Electoral College and the peaceful transfer of power. Period.

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As a result of Donald Trump’s words and actions, his lawyer’s frivolous litigation and his supporters’ violence, the Capitol was desecrated, people died and lives were changed forever and so was our nation. Democracy survived that day but was damaged in ways that are still becoming evident.

When I was a child, my parents spoke about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as the two days they would never forget. Dec. 7 became known as a day of infamy. Even as conspiracy theories swirl, there is universal agreement that the assassination of Kennedy was an evil act that changed history.

Until five years ago, the closest event to that in my lifetime was Sept. 11, 2001. Nearly a quarter century later, leaders of both parties still stop what they are doing on the morning of the anniversary to commemorate the day and pray for those who perished.

Then came Jan. 6, 2021.

In the immediate aftermath of the failed insurrection, there was near universal condemnation of the events of that day. But since then, Donald Trump has led one of the most successful revisionist disinformation efforts in modern history. At various times he has convinced his followers that it was a peaceful day of love, the violence was by antifa, it was an inside job to discredit his movement and it was a security failure caused by Nancy Pelosi.

But what makes Jan. 6 different is not simply that it is surrounded by lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories. Rather, it is that it remains for MAGA an uncompleted project that will likely be among the most important organizing principles of one of our two major political parties for years to come.

Trump has promised that as one of his very first acts upon taking office he will release those convicted of serious crimes on that day. The pardon power is usually used by presidents at the end of their terms to address injustices in the criminal justice system. Trump will fulfill a campaign promise to create heroes and foot soldiers in his own MAGA movement.

But that is only the beginning.

For MAGA, Jan. 6 is set to become a governing ethos that rewards lying, recklessness and vilification and promises that there will be no consequences. It is little surprise that so many leaders who embrace a business culture of moving fast and breaking things have made peace with a version of Trumpism infused with Jan. 6 denialism.

Those who succeed in the new administration will be those who best understand that disregarding acts of Congress, abusing the public trust and pursuing political enemies will be celebrated, not condemned. Following that law is for losers. Guardrails to safeguard democracy are for suckers.

Many commentators and journalists wrote moving pieces about Jan. 6 this year. I must confess, however, that one genre of those essays struck me as wrong. They framed Jan. 6, 2025, as a reversion to the norm — emphasizing that Kamala Harris did her duty with grace, congressional Democrats acted in accordance with longstanding constitutional principles and there was no violence.

This is the story we tell ourselves to feel better about a reality that does not exist. Last month I warned about falling through this exact intellectual false bottom:

“The trap for Democrats and pro-democracy advocates is to believe that he has changed, that his failure to attack our elections proves anything other than he is satisfied with the results.”

Worse, emphasizing how smoothly things went this year does not restore normalcy; it emboldens Trump’s image as a strongman who has cowed a weak opposition. This is not to say Democrats should have lodged frivolous objections or engaged in violent behavior. I publicly discouraged the former and categorically rejected the latter.

My point is different. We are in the middle of a great struggle to define Jan. 6, 2021, not just because of what it means to understand history but what it means for how we govern ourselves moving forward. Our narrative needs to focus on the absolute evil of that day and the continued dangers of MAGA extremism, not on how well well-behaved Democrats act when they lose.

The duality of Jan. 6 — simultaneously a day of infamy and an inspiration for a political movement — will likely define the next four years in ways yet unimagined. Those of us who care about democracy must promise to never forget and commit to never again.

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