TRUMP SUBURBAN RAGE:  The Conclusive findings on Who Stormed the US Capitol and Why It Matters Chicago Project on Security and Threats
Robert A. Pape  |  April 14, 2025

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump pardoned every person charged and commuted every sentence for people prosecuted by the federal government for their role in the unprecedented assault on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.  At a time when political violence has become disturbingly normal in America, these presidential pardons go beyond re-writing history – they are the most extreme act in US history by a sitting American president to legitimate acts of political violence that were in large part carried out in his name and for his political purposes.   As such, the pardons inherently entail risks of more acts of political violence in the future, both among the J6ers themselves and others who may be emboldened by the knowledge that an American president has used the powers of that office to protect those acting violently for political purposes in line with the president’s goals.  

This report presents conclusive findings on “who” stormed the US Capitol and why they say they did it.  Since the January 6 assault on the US Capitol, many have wondered about the role of white rural rage, far right militia groups, and other factors involved in the most serious domestic attack on the US Capitol in US history.   Answers are important, because they raise important implications about the possibilities for political violence in the future.  The findings show that the possibilities are wider and more concerning than many may now appreciate.