Lmst

Two Blocks from the White House
Paul Hunter and Katie Simpson sit down with their colleagues to talk through the big stories in the U.S. capitol and ask the question: what does this mean for Canada?
#news #politics #UScapitol
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/two-blocks-from-the-white-house-9.7042430?cmp=rss

Barbara Rose Johns Honored With New Statue in U.S. Capitol: A Symbol of Courage and Civil Rights Legacy https://shinemycrown.com/barbara-rose-johns-honored-with-new-statue-in-u-s-capitol-a-symbol-of-courage-and-civil-rights-legacy/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #BarbaraRoseJohns #CivilRights #Activism #USCapitol #Statue

Letters from an American – January 5, 2026 (Monday) – Heather Cox Richardson

Letters from an American, January 5, 2026 (Monday)

By Heather Cox Richardson, Jan 05, 2026

Trump Supporters Hold “Stop The Steal” Rally In DC Amid Ratification Of Presidential Election (Blog image)

Five years ago, on January 6, 2021, more than 2,000 rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol to try to stop the process of counting the electoral votes that would make Democrat Joe Biden president of the United States. They tried to hunt down House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and chanted their intention to “Hang Mike Pence,” the vice president. They fantasized that they were following in the footsteps of the American Founders, about to start a new nation. Newly elected representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) wrote on January 5, 2021: “Remember these next 48 hours. These are some of the most important days in American history.” On January 6 she wrote: “Today is 1776.”

In fact, it was not 1776 but 1861, the year insurrectionists who had tried to overthrow the government in order to establish minority rule tried to break the U.S. The rioters wanted to take away the right at the center of American democracy—our right to determine our own destiny—in order to keep Donald J. Trump in the White House, making sure the power of elite white men could not be challenged. It was no accident that the rioters carried a Confederate battle flag.

Since the 1980s, Republicans pushed the idea that a popular government that regulates business, provides a basic social safety net, promotes infrastructure, and protects civil rights crushes the individualism on which America depends. As cuts to regulation, taxation, and the nation’s social safety net began to hollow out the middle class, Republicans pushed the idea that the country’s problems came from greedy minorities and women who wanted to work outside the home. More and more, they insisted that the federal government was stealing tax dollars and destroying society, and they encouraged individual men to take charge of the country.

After the Democrats passed the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, more commonly known as the motor voter law, enabling people to register to vote at motor vehicle departments, Republicans increasingly insisted Democrats were cheating the system by relying on the votes of noncitizens, although there was never any evidence for this charge.

As wealth continued to move upward, the idea that individuals and paramilitary groups must “reclaim” America from undeserving Americans who were taking tax dollars and cheating to win elections became embedded in the Republican Party. By 2014, Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) called Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and his supporters “patriots” when they showed up armed to meet officials from the Bureau of Land Management who tried to impound Bundy’s cattle because he owed more than $1 million in grazing fees for running cattle on public land.

The idea of reclaiming the country for white men by destroying the federal government grew, along with the idea that Democrats could win elections only by cheating. In 2016, Trump insisted that his female Democratic opponent belonged in jail and that he alone could save the country from the Washington, D.C., “swamp.” Other Republican leaders who had initially shunned him began to support him when it became clear that he could mobilize a new crop of disaffected voters who could put Republicans into office.

And they continued to support him, claiming initially that he could be kept in check by establishment Republicans like his first chief of staff, Reince Priebus, who moved from leading the Republican National Committee to the White House for the first six months of Trump’s first term. In his first months in office, Trump delivered the tax cut Republican leaders wanted, as well as the appointment of one out of every four federal judges, including three Supreme Court justices, who would protect the Republican project in the courts.

But the idea that Trump could be kept in check fell apart in September 2019, when it appeared he was trying to rig the 2020 election. A whistleblower revealed that Trump had called the newly elected president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in July 2019 to demand that Zelensky smear former vice president Joe Biden, who was beating Trump in most polls going into the 2020 election season. Until Zelensky did so, Trump said, the administration would not release the money Congress had appropriated to fund Ukraine’s fight against Russia, which had invaded Ukraine in 2014.

The attempt to withhold congressionally appropriated funds in order to tilt an election was a glaring violation of the 1974 Impoundment Control Act codifying the executive branch’s duty to execute the laws Congress passed. In the congressional investigation that followed, witnesses revealed that Trump’s cronies were running a secret scheme in Ukraine to undermine official U.S. policy and benefit Trump’s allies.

Republicans in 1974 had turned against President Richard Nixon for far less, but although Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) said not a single Republican senator believed Trump, they stood behind him nonetheless. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told his colleagues: “This is not about this president. It’s not about anything he’s been accused of doing…. It’s about flipping the Senate.”

But once acquitted, Trump cut loose from any oversight. He sought revenge and insisted that “[w]hen somebody is President of the United States, the authority is total.” “The federal government has absolute power,” he said, and he had the “absolute right” to use that power if he wanted to.

As early as 2019, Trump had “joked” about staying in power regardless of the 2020 election results, and on October 31, Trump’s ally Steve Bannon told a private audience that Trump was going to declare that he had won the 2020 election no matter what. Trump knew that Democratic mail-in ballots would show up in the vote totals later than Republican votes cast on Election Day, creating a “red mirage” that would be overtaken later by Democratic votes.

“Trump’s going to take advantage of it,” Bannon said, by calling the election early and saying that the later votes were somehow illegitimate. “That’s our strategy. He’s gonna declare himself a winner.” Bannon continued: “Here’s the thing. After then, Trump never has to go to a voter again…. He’s gonna say ‘F*ck you. How about that?’ Because…he’s done his last election.”

Early returns on Election Night 2020, November 3, showed Trump ahead. But, more quickly than anyone expected, Democratic votes turned the key state of Arizona blue, and the Fox News Channel called the race for Biden. Furious, Trump took to the airwaves at about 2:30 the next morning and declared he had won, although ballots were still being counted and several battleground states had no clear winner. “We won’t stand for this,” he told supporters, assuring them he had won. “We’ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court, we want all voting to stop.”

Continue/Read Original Article Here: January 5, 2026 (Monday) – by Heather Cox Richardson

#AttemptedCoup #FiveYearsAgo #HangMikePence #HeatherCoxRichardson #History #Insurrection #January52026 #January62021 #LettersFromAnAmerican #Monday #RiotersAssaultedCapitol #USCapitol

Trump Supporters Hold "Stop The Steal" Rally In DC Amid Ratification Of Presidential Election

Exactly 5 years ago today, far-right domestic terrorists led a deadly attack on the US Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 Election results.

#domesticterrorist #USCapitol #WashingtonDC #DC #January6 #worldnews #DMV #criminal #election2020 #criminal #insurgents #maga

Far right domestic terrorists attacking the United States Capitol on January 6, 2020 in an attempt to overturn the election results

‘Destined to repeat’: J6 documentary's stark warning as America tries to forget

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.rawstory.com/raw-investigates/january-6-2674834753/

Jan. 6 riot ‘does not happen’ without Trump, Jack Smith told Congress – NPR

In this image from video released by the House Judiciary Committee, former special counsel Jack Smith speaks during a deposition Dec. 17, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
House Judiciary Committee / AP

Law
Capitol riot ‘does not happen’ without Trump, Jack Smith told Congress
December 31, 20259:15 PM ET

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Jan. 6., 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol “does not happen” without Donald Trump, former special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers earlier this month in characterizing the Republican president as the “most culpable and most responsible person” in the criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, seen here in August 2023, defended his work to House members Wednesday.

Law
Jack Smith defends his prosecutions of Trump in closed-door session in Congress

The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee released on Wednesday a transcript and video of a closed-door interview Smith gave about two investigations of Trump. The document shows how Smith during the course of a daylong deposition repeatedly defended the basis for pursuing indictments against Trump and vigorously rejected Republican suggestions that his investigations were politically motivated.
Special counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on a recently unsealed indictment against Donald Trump in August 2023 in Washington, D.C.

Law
Special counsel Jack Smith says evidence against Trump was enough to convict him

“The evidence here made clear that President Trump was by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy. These crimes were committed for his benefit. The attack that happened at the Capitol, part of this case, does not happen without him. The other co-conspirators were doing this for his benefit,” Smith said, bristling at a question about whether his investigations were meant to prevent Trump from reclaiming the presidency in 2024.

“So in terms of why we would pursue a case against him, I entirely disagree with any characterization that our work was in any way meant to hamper him in the presidential election,” he added.

The Dec. 17 deposition was conducted privately despite Smith’s request to testify publicly. The release of the transcript and video of the interview, so far Smith’s only appearance on Capitol Hill since leaving his special counsel position last January, adds to the public understanding of the decision-making behind two of the most consequential Justice Department investigations in recent history.

Trump was indicted on charges of conspiring to undo the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, and of willfully retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Both cases were abandoned after Trump’s 2024 election win, with Smith citing Justice Department policy against the indictment of a sitting president.

Smith repeatedly made clear his belief that the evidence gathered against Trump was strong enough to sustain a conviction. Part of the strength of the Jan. 6 case, Smith said, was the extent to which it relied on the testimony of Trump allies and supporters who cooperated with the investigation.

“We had an elector in Pennsylvania who is a former congressman, who was going to be an elector for President Trump, who said that what they were trying to do was an attempt to overthrow the government and illegal,” Smith said. “Our case was built on, frankly, Republicans who put their allegiance to the country before the party.”

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Jan. 6 riot ‘does not happen’ without Trump, Jack Smith told Congress : NPR

Tags: AP, Associated Press, December 17 2025, Department of Justice | Special Counsel Jack Smith - Final Report on the Special Counsel’s Investigations and Prosecutions, Deposition, House Judiciary Committee, Jack Smith, Jan 6, National Public Radio, NPR, Riot January 6th, U.S. Capitol, U.S. Congress, Washington DC, Without Trump
#AP #AssociatedPress #December172025 #DepartmentOfJusticeSpecialCounselJackSmithFinalReportOnTheSpecialCounselSInvestigationsAndProsecutions #Deposition #HouseJudiciaryCommittee #JackSmith #Jan6 #NationalPublicRadio #NPR #RiotJanuary6th #USCapitol #USCongress #WashingtonDC #WithoutTrump

Washington, the city every American should know Travel by train. 19[3-]
1 print (poster) : lithograph, color ; 104 x 68 cm. | Poster shows the National Mall with Lincoln Memorial, the Reflecting Pool, and U.S. Capitol.

#Washington #American #theNationalMall #LincolnMemorial #theReflectingPool #USCapitol #theLincolnMemorial #WashingtonMonument #Americans #TravelbyTrain #washington(dc) #american #posters #lithographs #the(washington #color #photopgraphy #LibraryOfCongress

https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2010651153/

The image is a vintage travel poster featuring an illustration of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., showcasing iconic landmarks such as the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol building. The composition includes lush greenery with well-maintained pathways or roads leading to these prominent structures. At the top right corner stands the towering Washington Monument, while at the bottom center lies a large reflecting pool that appears to be a central feature in this urban landscape. Prominent text on the poster reads "Washington," followed by an imperative statement urging Americans to travel there using trains and concludes with the phrase "Travel by Train." The overall design is vibrant with varying shades of green, yellow, blue, and grey dominating the color palette, depicting different elements like vegetation, water bodies, architecture, and sky.

Theodore Roosevelt sitting in an open carriage enroute to the U.S. Capitol on his inauguration day tips his hat to spectators c1905 March 29.
Bain, George Grantham, 1865-1944
1 photographic print.

Theodore Roosevelt Jr., also known as Teddy or T. R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York politics, including serving as the state's 33rd governor for two years. He served as the 25th vice president under President William McKinley for six months in 1901, assuming the presidency after McKinley's assassination. As president, Roosevelt emerged as a leader of the Republican Party and became a driving force for anti-trust and Progressive Era policies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt

#TheodoreRoosevelt #Inauguration #Carriage #Parade #Procession #USCapitol #Capitol #EarlythCentury #Flags #Presidentialinaugurations #WashingtonDC #news #photography
https://www.loc.gov/item/2004679196/

The image is a black-and-white photograph depicting a parade or procession. The scene is set in an urban environment with buildings lining the street. The focus is on a group of horse-drawn carriages, adorned with American flags, which are prominently displayed on the carriages and in the background. The flags are attached to poles and are waving in the wind, suggesting a festive or ceremonial occasion.

The carriages are being driven by individuals in formal attire, likely representing a military or official group, as indicated by their uniforms and hats. The horses pulling the carriages are harnessed together, and the riders appear to be holding reins or other controls. The spectators, dressed in coats and hats typical of the early 20th century, are gathered along the sidewalks, observing the procession. Some of the spectators are standing, while others are seated on benches or in groups, indicating a public event.

The buildings in the background have a classic architectural style, with visible windows and details that suggest they might be official or government buildings. The trees in the scene are bare, indicating that the photo was likely taken during the colder months, possibly winter or early spring. The overall atmosphere of the image suggests a formal and patriotic occasion, possibly a parade or a commemorative event.

#RobertELee

important to the "lost cause" narrative, romanticizing the #Confederacy

blah blah blah... he was a #traitor to the #USA and fought for #slavery, and is only valued by #racists

even with #MAGA and #Trump fighting it, we still remove statues trying to honor these turds

on Tuesday, a statue of #Virginia #civilRights #activist #BarbaraRoseJohns replaced that of Robert E Lee in the #USCapitol

as a teenager in 1951 she led a student strike for equal #education

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/us-capitol-unveils-statue-civil-rights-icon-barbara-rose-johns-rcna249613

a statue of Barbara Rose Johns holding aloft a history book

a ceremony for the unveiling of the statue honoring Barbara Rose Johns

Good news from a few days ago:

"Her 1951 walkout helped end school segregation. Now her statue is in the U.S. Capitol"

https://www.npr.org/2025/12/16/nx-s1-5645727/barbara-rose-johns-capitol-statue

"In 1951, a Black teenager led a walkout of her segregated Virginia high school. On Tuesday, her statue replaced that of a Confederate general in the U.S. Capitol."

I know statues are only symbols, but with misinformation and outright lies from the current regime it's clear that symbols are important.

#USPol #History #CivilRights #USCapitol #Resist

Photo of the Barbara Rose Johns statue - a teenage girl standing next to a lectern and holding up a tattered book with the title "The History of Virginia" - in Emancipation Hall in the US Capitol. In front of the statue there is a crowd of people applauding.

U.S. Capitol Honors Teen Civil Rights Trailblazer Barbara Rose Johns with New Statue https://shinemycrown.com/u-s-capitol-honors-teen-civil-rights-trailblazer-barbara-rose-johns-with-new-statue/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #CivilRights #BarbaraRoseJohns #StatueUnveiling #USCapitol #TeenTrailblazer

Sarah McBride says GOP should protect Americans’ health coverage, not criminalize trans kids’ medical care

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/sarah-mcbride-gop-transgender-care

lawyers for the #DOJ revealed that Trump had stepped in to prevent the release of some material requested as part of a lawsuit brought by police officers injured by violent rioters at the #USCapitol. The materials were originally subpoenaed from the #NationalArchives newrepublic.com/post/204173/...

Trump Personally Intervenes to...

U.S. Capitol exteriors. Dome of U.S. Capitol and Peace Monument from Pennsylvania Ave. ca. 1920-ca. 1950.
Horydczak, Theodor, approximately 1890-1971
1 negative : safety ; 8 x 10 in.

#USCapitol #DomeofUSCapitol #PennsylvaniaAve #Horydczak #Theodor #theUnitedStates #PeaceMonument #WashingtonDCs #Capitols #DistrictofColumbia #Monuments&memorials #UnitedStates #Washington(DC) #photography

https://www.loc.gov/item/2019681920/

The image depicts a wide, open street leading towards the United States Capitol building with its iconic dome and Peace Monument at one end. The scene appears to be from an earlier era based on the style of vehicles visible in the distance - they look like early 20th-century automobiles. Trees line both sides of the road, their bare branches suggesting it might be late fall or winter.

The street is relatively empty with a few cars and horse-drawn carriages present, indicating that this image could have been taken during a time when personal automobile usage was not as prevalent as today. The sky above is partly cloudy but allows enough sunlight to illuminate the scene adequately.

Overall, it's an atmospheric black-and-white photograph capturing a moment in Washington D.C.'s past and showcasing one of its most famous landmarks.

U.S. Capitol exteriors. U.S. Capitol and crossing of Pennsylvania Ave. and Constitution Ave. ca. 1920-ca. 1950.
Horydczak, Theodor, approximately 1890-1971
1 negative : safety ; 4 x 5 in.

#USCapitol #PennsylvaniaAve #ConstitutionAve #Horydczak #Theodor #WashingtonDC #PennsylvaniaAvenue #ConstitutionAvenue #Capitols #DistrictofColumbia #UnitedStates #Washington(DC) #photography

https://www.loc.gov/item/2019681494/

The image is a black and white photograph depicting an aerial view of Washington D.C., focusing on the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue. The U.S. Capitol building can be seen in the background, prominently situated at the end of Constitution Ave.

In the foreground, there's a large open space with geometric shapes that could possibly represent planned urban development or greenery. Several rows of trees are visible along Pennsylvania Avenue, leading to an intersection lined by what appears to be traffic lights and street signs.

The photograph seems to capture the scene during daylight hours under clear skies. The overall composition suggests it was taken between approximately 1920-1950 based on historical context clues like architectural styles of buildings in view and black-and-white quality of photo itself, indicating a vintage or early period for this image's era.

This particular photograph is credited to Horydczak, Theodor (approximately 1890-1971), with additional information provided about the collection source being "U.S. Capitol exteriors" and an online repository at images.loener.nl where it can be accessed as a digital image file named '691ec78b450e57a2674d06f6.jpg'.

U.S. Capitol exteriors. Dome of U.S. Capitol at night with reflection ca. 1920-ca. 1950.
Horydczak, Theodor, approximately 1890-1971
1 negative : glass ; 8 x 10 in.

#USCapitol #DomeofUSCapitol #Horydczak #Theodor #TheodorHorydczak #WashingtonDC #Capitol #Capitols #DistrictofColumbia #UnitedStates #Washington(DC) #undefined

https://www.loc.gov/item/2019684540/

A black and white photograph of the U.S. Capitol building at night, showing its iconic dome illuminated by lights. The reflection in a puddle on the ground creates an almost symmetrical image of the structure, enhancing the visual impact. This photo appears to be from around 1920-1950 based on historical context and stylistic elements such as the quality of black-and-white film used during that era.

This photograph is part of a collection by Theodor Horydczak (approximately 1890-1971), who was known for his architectural photography, often capturing significant buildings in Washington D.C. It's likely to be an older print or reproduction given the provided historical context and website source information.

The image is credited with a reference number "C_42/1" which suggests it might belong to a larger collection of photographs by Horydczak depicting various Capitol exteriors captured around that time period (ca. 1920-ca. 1950).

#trump le racketteur
#YouTube agrees to pay Trump $24.5m to settle lawsuit over account suspension
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/29/youtube-trump-lawsuit-settlement
YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5m to settle a suit brought by Donald Trump in 2021 that alleged the platform wrongly suspended his channel after the January 6 attack on the #USCapitol. The #Google subsidiary is the latest in a long string of tech companies to make a multimillion-dollar payout to the president over past decisions about his accounts.

Who is Lisa Monaco? Why is Donald Trump asking Microsoft to fire ‘deranged’ lawyer?

US President Donald Trump on Friday called on Microsoft to fire its head of global affairs Lisa Mona…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #FBIDirector #Latvia #LisaMonaco #lisamonacobiography #lisamonacocareer #lisamonacotrumpcase #lisamonacowikipedia #LV #Microsoft #microsoftglobalaffairshead #microsoftlawyerlisamonaco #nationalsecurity #Trump #trumplisamonaco #uscapitol #whoislisamonaco
https://www.newsbeep.com/148910/

someone placed a golden statue of Donald Trump holding a #bitcoin on the national mall.

#uspol #uspolitics #usCapitol #capitol #trump #crypto #cryptocurrency #GoldenCalf

golden statue of donald trump, arm outstretched and offering a bitcoin, in front of the US capitol.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna proposes a statue of Charlie Kirk in the U.S. Capitol, sparking fierce debate. Kirk, a divisive conservative figure, was fatally shot; Luna credits him for her rise. Critics question comparing him to MLK and the statue’s impact. Read the full story: https://www.alternet.org/gop-charlie-kirk-congress/ #CharlieKirk #TurningPointUSA #USCapitol

#uscapitol

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