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If the Donald Trump administration’s latest antics were a movie, it’d be called The Great Revisionist History Heist.
Nothing screams “patriotism” like pretending Jan. 6, 2021, was just a spirited field trip gone slightly awry. And now, with evidence mysteriously vanishing from government databases, it appears the strategy is simple: if you can’t win the argument, just erase the evidence. It’s almost poetic, really —like George Orwell’s 1984 brought to life. Orwell’s terrifying vision of a totalitarian regime features the Ministry of Truth, which rewrites history to fit the Party’s narrative. In one memorable passage, Orwell describes how records are constantly altered to ensure the Party is never wrong: “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
Orwell’s chilling words echo louder than ever. Recently, nine videos entered into evidence against Glen Simon, one of the many rioters who stormed the Capitol, have mysteriously gone poof. These were videos that showed Simon, in his tactical vest, storming the building, screaming obscenities at police, and declaring, “This is what a revolution looks like!” For his trouble, Simon was sentenced to eight months in prison — an arguably light punishment given the chaos of that day.
It all started with Trump’s now-infamous rally, where he told his supporters to “fight like hell” and march to the Capitol. And fight they did. Five people died in connection to the attack. Scores of police officers were injured, some so severely that their lives will never be the same. One officer, Brian Sicknick, later died from a series of strokes after defending the Capitol.
Others suffered from PTSD, with some ultimately taking their own lives in the months following the attack. And yet, Trump and his loyalists continue to downplay the event. They call the rioters “political prisoners” and insist these were peaceful people who just got a little rowdy. Peaceful? Tell that to the officers beaten with flagpoles. Tell that to the lawmakers who thought they might die that day. And when evidence from a violent coup attempt starts disappearing, it raises a few red flags.
I’m not alone here — Chief Judge James Boasberg thinks so too. He ordered the government to stop deleting anything and demanded a full report on what’s been removed and why. Since Trump strolled back into office, the Justice Department has shut down a website that tracked all January 6 cases. Add to that the fact that the new interim U.S. Attorney for D.C., Ed Martin, was literally at the pro-Trump protest outside the Capitol that day, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for some truly Olympic-level gaslighting. Martin is the guy now overseeing the prosecution of those involved in the very event he supported.
The most chilling part? The retaliation. There’s a palpable fear among prosecutors, journalists, and legal experts that this isn’t just about erasing the past — it’s about punishing those who dared to hold January 6 rioters accountable. Former prosecutors who worked on these cases have expressed concerns that they could become targets of political retribution.
And why wouldn’t they be? Trump has made it clear that loyalty to him trumps loyalty to the rule of law. This isn’t paranoia. It’s happened before. Just look at how Trump treated officials who didn’t toe the line on his baseless election fraud claims. From firing FBI Director James Comey to pressuring state officials to “find votes,” Trump has shown he’s more than willing to weaponize the government against his enemies. On his first day, he granted clemency to over 1,500 January 6 defendants, including violent offenders. It was a clear signal to his base: “Do it again, and I’ll have your back.”