why I (still) care about January 6

My friend and client, journalist Nora Neus, released a book last week called 24 HOURS AT THE CAPITOL: AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE JANUARY 6th INSURRECTION. You’ve probably heard me talk about it over the last six months.

First, I was bemoaning the difficulty of selling a book about such a dark topic (an attempted toppling of our democracy) during such a dark time (the actual toppling of our democracy).

Next, I was bemoaning the preemptive censorship of the book by a certain high profile library and the pervasive culture of fear, stoked by Trump, among our bookstore and university allies, which has made it difficult to promote this book in the usual channels.

Finally, I now can’t stop talking about how actually good this book is. It’s one of five books that I rated five stars in 2025.

Breaking News: President Trump is doing something illegal! Again! He’s started a war (?) with Venezuela and kidnapped their president (!) without congress’s consent or knowledge, and stated that the US now runs Venezuela(?!)…

Tomorrow is the 5th anniversary of the Jan 6th Insurrection and the white supremacist and nationalist group the Proud Boys are planning to hold another march on congress to mark the anniversary. I still care about January 6, 2020 because it’s important to remember the truth of what happened that day. The violence Trump incited and his actions since inform our moment today. Trump is actively trying to bury that history and change the story to suit his narrative.

Don’t let him.

Nora wrote a great and very short piece today about the connection between Trump’s actions in Venezuela and J6. Read it!

Thank you to everyone who has already purchased a copy or ordered it from their library. Every bit of support means the world.