The Jan 6th Capitol riots five years on… Why America is still divided

The Jan 6th Capitol riots five years on… Why America is still divided

Author: BBC News January 16, 2026 Duration: 25:47

Five years on from the Jan 6th Capitol riots in Washington DC, the narrative around what happened that day continues to shift and cause division within America.

In Congress, a new Republican-led House panel the Select Subcommittee to Investigate the Remaining Questions Surrounding January 6th 2021 held its first hearing this week. Republicans say it’s needed because the previous committee, led by Democrat Nancy Pelosi was a “sham from the start”, finding Trump responsible for inciting the riots.

But Democrats continue to blame Donald Trump, accusing the US president of pardoning hundreds of violent rioters and trying to reversion the history of Jan 6th.

In today’s episode, Marianna and Anthony discuss why the divisions continue, what the American public think, and who is winning the argument of what really happened that day.

HOSTS: • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent

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This episode was made by George Dabby and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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