January 6: When democracy triumphed over insurrection, tyranny, and violence

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Violent Betrayal: Framing January 6

July 4 marks the birth of the United States as a nation declaring itself free from the tyranny of kings. 

January 6 marks the day when would-be tyrants tried to destroy our nation in a violent betrayal that shook American democracy to its core.

Four years ago, Donald Trump’s supporters tried to overthrow the United States of America. On that infamous day, Trump – having lost an election – sought to overturn the will of the American people through force. After driving his supporters into a frenzy with false claims about the election, he dispatched them to the United States Capitol. 

They raided the building. They assaulted police officers. They ransacked offices. They hunted for elected officials to harm and, possibly, murder. They chanted “Hang Mike Pence,” having erected a gallows. They chanted “Nancy” as they invaded Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. “This is a coup d’etat attempted by the President of the United States,” wrote presidential historian Michael Beschloss at 11:47 a.m. on January 6, as berserk MAGA mobs attacked the seat of the American government. 

Their treacherous attack failed. Democracy persevered that day.

A day of reflection on democracy

January 6, which resulted in Trump's second impeachment, should be a national holiday – an annual day of reflection on the importance of remaining vigilant in defense of democracy. We must never forget the betrayal and insurrection of that day. Yet we should also remember January 6 as a day when democracy triumphed over tyranny once again.

Of course, it’s hard to feel triumphant on January 6, 2025. There’s no way to sugarcoat Trump’s return to the White House in a few weeks. But by winning a slim plurality of votes, Trump also disproved the central lie propping up his political career. His victory in 2024 exposes the reality he has spent four years denying: he lost the 2020 election fair and square.

This hardly matters to his hardcore supporters. It does, however, matter to a majority of Americans. A recent poll showed that most Americans (55%) view January 6 as a violent attack on our government. Another poll found that a big majority of Americans (64%) also oppose Trump’s plans to pardon those who attacked the Capitol.

It's not easy to square these polls with the fact of Trump’s reelection. But remember: Voter beliefs often seem inconsistent, and public opinion can sway dramatically. This poses a danger for Trump, who has made promises he can’t keep – as well as some promises he shouldn’t keep. 

Trump's Orwellian reframing of ‘heinous attack’

Though he won the presidency, January 6 remains a political vulnerability for Trump. This is why he desperately seeks to reframe this day of infamy as something positive.

In the aftermath of his failed coup, Trump condemned his own supporters and sought to distance himself from the attack. He described them as “intruders” who had “infiltrated the Capitol” in a “heinous attack.” He said they had “defiled the seat of American democracy.”

Now, he has changed his story. In a stark example of authoritarian propaganda, Trump now describes January 6 as a “day of love.” This is, of course, an absurd lie on par with the “war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength” motto of the Big Brother government in George Orwell’s 1984. That’s why we call this Orwellian language – propaganda language designed to kill the truth, often by saying the exact opposite of reality.

“Orwellian language points to weakness – Orwellian weakness,” wrote Dr. George Lakoff in Don’t Think of An Elephant. “When you hear Orwellian language, note where it is, because it is a guide to where they are vulnerable. They do not use it everywhere. It is very important to notice this and use it to your advantage.”

Trump’s Orwellian effort to reframe January 6 positively shows that he fears the reality of what that day revealed. 

January 6 exposed him as a betrayer. He betrayed the country and the trust of the American people. He betrayed his oath of office and his pledge to uphold the Constitution. He even betrayed his own supporters, who stormed the Capitol after he incited them and then found themselves abandoned and scorned by the man who had pushed them toward insurrection in the first place.

And let's not forget: On January 6, Trump failed. He lost both the election and the insurrection.

Key frames of January 6 

Let’s examine the key frames that January 6 activates in the brains of the majority of Americans:

Betrayal / Insurrection

• Frame Activation: The attack on the Capitol was a betrayal of democracy, the Constitution, and the peaceful transfer of power—values at the core of the American identity.
• Moral Basis: Betrayal violates citizens’ trust in leaders and institutions to uphold the rule of law and democratic norms. Insurrection is an attack on the nation as a whole, and thus a moral violation of the highest order.
• Emotional Response: Anger and a deep sense of violation.

Attack on Law and Order

• Frame Activation: The storming of the Capitol was an attack on law and order. It was an assault on institutional authority, a challenge to the enforcement of norms, and a violent physical assault on police officers and lawmakers.
• Moral Basis: Republican morality traditionally emphasizes the need to obey laws to prevent chaos. Progressive morality views laws and rules as ways to ensure fairness, justice, and the protection of rights.
• Emotional Response: Fear and outrage at the chaos, violence, and open criminality. (Or, in the case of Trump's supporters, denial and grievance.)

Patriotism vs. Trumpism

• Frame Activation: January 6 was a conflict between genuine patriotism (defending democracy) and a distorted belief system (MAGA/Trumpism) used to justify authoritarianism and insurrection.
• Moral Basis: True patriots defend shared values, whereas Trumpists (false patriots) exploit symbols like flags and slogans to serve partisan or authoritarian ends.
• Emotional Response: Pride for those defending democracy; indignation toward the nation’s attackers.

Sacred Space Violation

• Frame Activation: The Capitol, a symbol of democracy and legitimacy, is framed as a sacred space. Its desecration activates the “violation of sanctity” frame.
• Moral Basis: This frame resonates with the concept of purity versus defilement, where the attackers are perceived as defiling democracy’s “temple.” Even Trump said that’s what they did.
• Emotional Response: Disgust, moral outrage, and a demand for accountability.

Authoritarianism vs. Democracy

• Frame Activation: January 6 presents a stark contrast: Authoritarian efforts to overthrow democracy against the resilience of democratic systems.
• Moral Basis: This frame relies on the cherished American values of democracy, equality, and fairness. In this case, they are morally opposed by the authoritarian demand for power and control.
• Emotional Response: Determination to protect democracy; fear of rising authoritarianism.

Freedom vs. Coercion

• Frame Activation: January 6 was a conflict between freedom (self-governance through democratic processes) and coercion (violent efforts to overturn legitimate results).
• Moral Basis: The democratic process is key to American freedom, a key American moral value.
• Emotion: A call to action to defend freedom, liberty, and the democratic system of government.

Fragility of Democracy

• Frame Activation: The attack underscored the vulnerability of democratic systems, reframing democracy as something that must be actively maintained and protected.
• Moral Basis: Democracy is the key to freedom, the chief American moral value. But democracy is not guaranteed – it requires active participation and defense against internal threats.
• Emotional Response: A sense of urgency and resolve. Increased awareness of one’s patriotic duty to defend American democracy.

Redemption and Resilience

• Frame Activation: Despite the violent attack, the electoral votes were certified and democracy persevered. This evokes a frame of resilience and redemption. It demonstrates that democracy can endure crises.
• Moral Basis: This frame focuses on our collective strength, our duty as citizens, and our shared commitment to our core national values, like the right to vote.
• Emotional Response: Perseverance and resolve. Hope and pride in our collective national ability to overcome threats and endure.

These frames do not work in Trump’s favor. If he carries out his promise to start pardoning the January 6 attackers, he will evoke these frames once more, reminding the American people of what he really is. Democrats must be prepared to exploit this vulnerability if Trump starts pardoning the January 6 criminals.

The 'love' frame

When Trump tries to reframe January 6 as “love,” he means that those who stormed the Capitol loved him more than they loved their country. This is a good thing in his authoritarian mind because he believes himself to be more important than the nation. 

But the majority of Americans have a very different view of the situation. They know January 6 was a violent attack on democracy. They understand that the country was saved that day by men and women who – for the love of their country – did their moral duty to defend the nation from an attack set in motion by their own president.

Today, let’s remember the sacrifice and bravery of those officers and officials who stood against tyranny – not just as a relic of history but as a model for the future.

Further reading:

"How Trump Inverted the Violent History of Jan. 6," New York Times (gift link)