Tuesday’s debate should show whether Trump has learned how to campaign against Harris
How the GOP’s rewriting of Jan. 6 paved the way for Trump’s comeback
The Republican Party’s revisionist retelling of the Jan. 6 insurrection has paved the way for Donald Trump’s political comeback. In the wake of the attack on the Capitol, the GOP has shifted the conversation away from the events of the insurrection and has instead attempted to cast blame on Democrats and to portray Trump’s role as limited. Through the GOP’s actions, the former president has been able to maintain the support of segments of the Republican base, a key element of his potential political resurgence in the future.
The Republican efforts to rewrite the Jan. 6 narrative began soon after the attacks. The day after the siege, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to blame Trump, despite the fact that the president had encouraged and incited the mob. This set the tone for the party’s response to the insurrection and allowed Trump to escape blame. Republican lawmakers also continued to defend him throughout his second impeachment trial, insisting that the trial was unconstitutional even though they had voted to certify President Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
The GOP’s efforts to downplay the events of Jan. 6 have also been aided by some media outlets and by some right-wing voices, who have sought to minimize the attack by claiming that it was a non- violent protest. This false narrative has been embraced by some Republican lawmakers, which has allowed Trump to stay in the news and to maintain his support among the GOP base.
Ultimately, the GOP’s rewriting of Jan. 6 has allowed Trump to escape justice and to cast himself as an unfairly persecuted victim in the eyes of his supporters. This strategy has allowed the former president to remain politically relevant and to lay the groundwork for his potential comeback.