Here are the key takeaways from Jonathan Turley’s analysis of the new J6 Committee hearings:
- Democrats continue to push the “insurrection” narrative for January 6 despite overwhelming evidence showing it was a riot, not a coordinated rebellion against the government.
- No one — including President Trump or any January 6 participant — has ever been charged with insurrection under federal law, as confirmed by former DOJ prosecutor Michael Romano during the hearings.
- Rep. Jamie Raskin falsely labeled January 6 defendant Pamela Hemphill a “convicted insurrectionist,” when she was only charged with minor misdemeanors like picketing in the Capitol, serving just 60 days in prison.
- The FBI’s massive investigation found zero evidence of an insurrection, underscoring that the label is a politically motivated myth.
- While a handful faced seditious conspiracy charges, these are not equivalent to insurrection or incitement, yet Democrats like Raskin attempt to conflate them for rhetorical effect.
- Early media and official hype about charging Trump, Trump Jr., Giuliani, and Rep. Mo Brooks with incitement quickly fizzled out because the claims were legally unsustainable.
- The Supreme Court has already scaled back some January 6-related charges (e.g., rejecting broad obstruction applications), further weakening the Democrats’ overblown “insurrection” framing.
- Democrats have weaponized the false insurrection claim to justify efforts to disqualify Trump and other Republicans from ballots, prioritizing partisan attacks over facts.
- The new J6 Committee setup — allowing Democrats to select their own opposing members — has enabled these heated, revealing exchanges that expose the narrative’s weaknesses.
Read the full story: https://jonathanturley.org/2026/01/16/democrats-fight-to-keep-the-insurrection-myth-alive-in-the-new-j6-committee/
