The January 6 Capitol Breach (also called the January 6 United States Capitol attack, or, by some, the January 6 insurrection or January 6 protest) refers to the events of January 6, 2021, when a crowd of supporters of then-President Donald Trump attacked the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., during a joint session of Congress convened to count electoral votes and formalize Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. Members of the crowd breached police lines and entered the Capitol building, disrupting the certification proceedings for several hours before law enforcement regained control. The characterization of the event-as a riot, an insurrection, a protest that escalated, or a “legitimate political discourse,” among other framings-is itself contested; see january-6-capitol-breach-characterization-viewpoint and related pages.

It is documented that 1,424 people were charged with federal crimes relating to the event, of whom 1,010 pled guilty, and 1,060 were sentenced, with 64 percent receiving jail time. Approximately 140 Capitol and Metropolitan Police officers were criminally assaulted during the attack. Eight people died during or in the aftermath of the events: five police officers connected to the Capitol's defense, and four protesters, including Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by police as she attempted to breach the House chamber, two who died of natural causes, and one in a crush. The attack caused an estimated $1.5 million in damage to the Capitol building. No one connected to the events was formally charged with insurrection. Further background on the buildup to the attack, the certification proceedings, and the day's events is treated at january-6-capitol-breach-history.

Trump and other Republicans sought to overturn the 2020 election result, making claims of widespread voter fraud that were found to be false by courts and election officials; the underlying election-fraud claims are treated separately at 2020-election-fraud-claims. The House of Representatives subsequently impeached Trump for incitement of insurrection, and the Senate acquitted him after leaving office. A House select committee investigated the attack and produced a report; a subsequent House Administration Subcommittee, under different House leadership, produced an Interim Report reaching different conclusions about security failures and responsibility. The relative credibility and findings of these two congressional inquiries remain disputed; see january-6-capitol-breach-congressional-investigations-debate.

On January 20, 2025, upon his second inauguration, President Trump granted clemency to all January 6 defendants, including those convicted of violent offenses, with the exception of himself. Fourteen people-nine Oath Keepers and five Proud Boys-had their sentences commuted to time served while their convictions stood; all others received full pardons. As of January 20, 2025, 1,575 people had been charged in connection with the attack, of whom 1,021 had pleaded guilty and 249 had been convicted at trial. More than 600 of those charged had been convicted of or pleaded guilty to assaulting or obstructing law enforcement officers, and 170 to using a deadly weapon. Some pardon recipients, including Pamela Hemphill, publicly declined the pardon. Independent tracking organizations have documented dozens of pardon recipients subsequently rearrested, charged, or convicted of unrelated crimes, a development discussed further at january-6-capitol-breach-pardons-controversy.

• Insurrection/Attack on Democracy Viewpoint - Holds that the events constituted a violent insurrection or attempted coup intended to prevent the peaceful transfer of presidential power, incited in part by Trump's false claims of election fraud.
• Riot, Not Insurrection, Viewpoint - Holds that the events were a serious and criminal riot involving real violence against police, but reject the “insurrection” label as legally or factually inaccurate, noting no insurrection charges were filed.
• Overcriminalized Political Protest Viewpoint - Holds that most participants were nonviolent trespassers or demonstrators who were prosecuted disproportionately for political reasons, and that the federal response was excessive.
• Government and Security Failure Viewpoint - Emphasizes failures by Capitol Police, the Pentagon, and congressional leadership to adequately prepare for or respond to the events, locating primary responsibility in institutional and command failures rather than, or in addition to, the participants or Trump.
• False Flag/Provocation Viewpoint - A minority viewpoint holding that the attack was instigated, infiltrated, or orchestrated by federal agents or other actors to discredit Trump supporters; this view is not supported by the findings of either congressional inquiry or by criminal investigations.

• The mass pardons and commutations of January 20, 2025 and their scope, beneficiaries, and aftermath, including subsequent reoffending by some recipients, are documented and disputed; see january-6-capitol-breach-pardons-controversy.
• The death of Ashli Babbitt, the circumstances of the shooting, and the subsequent $5 million settlement paid by the Department of Justice to her family are a documented controversy; see january-6-capitol-breach-ashli-babbitt-controversy.
• The conflicting findings of the House Select Committee and the later House Administration Subcommittee Interim Report regarding responsibility for security failures constitute a documented dispute; see january-6-capitol-breach-congressional-investigations-debate.

• History: january-6-capitol-breach-history
• Debate: january-6-capitol-breach-congressional-investigations-debate
• Viewpoint Debate: january-6-capitol-breach-insurrection-riot-viewpoint-debate
• Controversy: january-6-capitol-breach-pardons-controversy
• Controversy: january-6-capitol-breach-ashli-babbitt-controversy
• Related Main Topic: 2020-election-fraud-claims
• Related Main Topic: capitol-police-security-failures

1. Britannica, s.v. “January 6 U.S. Capitol Attack,” accessed June 27, 2026, https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack.
2. Wikipedia, s.v. “January 6 United States Capitol Attack,” last modified June 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack.
3. Wikipedia, s.v. “Criminal Proceedings in the January 6 United States Capitol Attack,” last modified April 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_proceedings_in_the_January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack.
4. Wikipedia, s.v. “Pardon of January 6 United States Capitol Attack Defendants,” last modified June 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardon_of_January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack_defendants.
5. Wikipedia, s.v. “List of Cases of the January 6 United States Capitol Attack,” last modified June 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cases_of_the_January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack.
6. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, “At Least 40 Pardoned Insurrectionists Face Other Criminal Charges,” December 18, 2025, https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-reports/at-least-33-pardoned-insurrectionists-face-other-criminal-charges-but-many-are-now-going-free/.
7. NPR, “Trump Pardons Some 1,500 Jan. 6 Rioters, Commutes 14 Sentences,” January 20, 2025, https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/g-s1-36809/trump-pardons-january-6-riot.
8. White House, “January 6: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy,” accessed June 27, 2026, https://www.whitehouse.gov/j6/.