Election results certified, KCRG-TV9 political analyst on insurrection & transfer of power
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Congress certified the results of the 2024 election on Monday, and it looked very different than when the same process unfolded exactly four years ago.
It has been 4 years since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. According to a bipartisan Senate report, seven people died in connection with the attack.
Donald Trump faced felony charges for inciting violence that day. Once he won re-election, those charges were dismissed. Long-standing Justice Department policy that bars the prosecution of a sitting president.
The end of the case is analogous with how the overarching political impact of the insurrection has played out. KCRG TV9’s Megan Goldberg said, four years out, January 6 hasn’t had all the consequences one might expect.
“Our political memories as voters are quite short,” said Goldberg.
Goldberg said, yes, many individuals have been prosecuted for their actions that day. More than 1,250 people have pleaded guilty or were convicted of crimes for the Capitol siege. However, the impact for President Trump has been negligible.
“On the Republican side of the spectrum... it didn’t sort of make the massive changes that you might have expected,” said Goldberg. “Trump has remained an important part of the Republican Party.”
Goldberg said not only are voters' political memories short, but Trump has also been working to change those memories. He has attempted to reframe Jan. 6 as a “day of love.”
“Trump in particular has done a very effective job at reframing that day...it was sort of really, really big news the first time it happened. And again, it sort of like faded as other events took precedence.”
Trump has promised to pardon many of those found guilty of crimes in connection to the attack.
Goldberg said to see the true impact of four years ago, watch his first months in office and beyond.
“There is sort of a big question mark about what’s going to happen as we reach the end of Trump’s four years sort of this time around.”
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