Trump Instructs Republicans to 'Erase' January 6 Riots From History, Congressman Says

Donald Trump has instructed Republican lawmakers to "erase" the events of January 6, a Democratic congressman said, as efforts to honor Capitol police officers with a memorial plaque remain stalled more than two years after its legal deadline.

Following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, during which over 140 officers were injured and five died in its aftermath, Congress passed legislation requiring a commemorative plaque to be installed by March 2023 to honor the officers' bravery.

The plaque, funded through an omnibus spending bill passed with bipartisan support, was designed to be placed on the Capitol's Western Front—the site of some of the most intense violence.

The plaque has not been installed and is currently sitting in a Capitol basement utility room. Democratic Representative Hakeem Jeffries says House Republicans, under Speaker Mike Johnson, have deliberately blocked its placement.

"This is where there's a clear difference between Democrats and Republicans," the House Minority Leader said. "House Democrats have made it clear, we are going to respect and honor those law enforcement officials and police officers who defending this capitol on January 6th."

Jeffries continued, "The reason why the law hasn't been complied with and a plaque hasn't been erected is because Republicans, directed by their puppet master Donald Trump, have been told, try to erase January 6th, as if it has never happened."

Lawmakers marked National Police Week by renewing calls for the plaque's installation, demanding House leadership comply with the law, according to the Washington Post. Capitol Police unions have not commented, but Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, who is retiring, criticized the Trump administration's recent $5 million settlement with Ashli Babbitt's family, calling it a "chilling message" to law enforcement.

With the plaque gathering dust and public support mounting, Democrats say they will continue to pressure Republican leadership.

"We know the plaque was made, we know it is here in the Capitol and I have yet to see one good reason why the speaker hasn't put it up yet," said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington) at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last week.