For millions of Americans tuning into the presidential inauguration every four years, the Lower West Terrace Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol is a significant landmark.
The incoming president walks through this tunnel before stepping onto the inaugural platform to take the oath of office.
On January 6, 2021, this tunnel became a crime scene, witnessing a violent struggle between law enforcement and a mob of supporters of President-elect Donald Trump. Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell vividly recounted his harrowing experience to Congress, stating, “I could feel myself losing oxygen and recall thinking to myself: ‘this is how I’m going to die – defending this entrance.’
As Trump prepares to step through that same tunnel as president-elect, he campaigns on a narrative portraying those charged for their actions on January 6 as “political prisoners” deserving of presidential pardons. The Trump campaign has even incorporated themes of music recorded by jailed January 6 defendants, framing the day as a “day of love.”
For Gonell and others affected by the day’s violence, the prospect of Trump’s electoral win was disheartening. “It feels sometimes like, what did I risk my life for?” he reflected.
Due to his injuries sustained during the attack, Gonell underwent two surgeries and ultimately retired from the Capitol Police. He is disturbed by the downplaying of the violence by certain Republican lawmakers: “We did our job and gave them the time to escape, to evacuate the building. And they seem to have forgotten the fear that Donald Trump’s mob made them feel.”
The January 6 attack has been labeled as domestic terrorism by the Justice Department, jeopardizing the peaceful transfer of power. Prosecutors estimate that 140 officers were injured that day. One such officer, Brian Sicknick, was assaulted with chemical spray and later died from natural causes, with a medical examiner noting that the events of that day contributed to his condition.
The Sicknick family holds Trump responsible for his death. “What I’m very upset about is that he’s gonna let all these people out of jail,” remarked Gladys Sicknick, Brian’s mother. “It’s just not right.”
Trump’s post-election discussions hint at the possibility of pardoning individuals convicted of assault during the Capitol attack, stoking concerns among victims and their families. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump transition, asserted that, unlike President Biden, Trump strives to pardon Americans who were “denied due process” and victimized by a “weaponized” justice system.
Amid shifting narratives and attempts to rewrite the narrative surrounding January 6, Gonell struggles with post-traumatic stress and fears retaliation from the incoming Trump administration. He recalls the harrowing nature of that day, stating emphatically, “No matter how much the other side wants to erase it, it won’t change that.”
