March 5, 2025

How Trump’s January 6 Pardons Hijacked History

On the first episode of Reveal’s new podcast “More To The Story,” the lead Capitol riot investigator sounds the alarm about American extremism.

Trump supporters scale the US Capitol.

Supporters of Donald Trump storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.zz/STRF/STAR MAX/IPx/AP

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One of President Donald Trump’s first actions in his second term was simple and sweeping: pardoning 1,500 people convicted of offenses related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. That single executive action undid years of work and investigation by the FBI, US prosecutors, and one person in particular: Tim Heaphy.

In the first episode of More To The Story, Reveal’s new podcast, host Al Letson talks with Heaphy, the lead investigative counsel for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, who’s arguably done more than anyone to piece together what happened that day. His work helped inform related cases that were brought against rioters, Trump administration officials, and even Trump himself.

“I spent my whole career as a lawyer,” Heaphy says, “and I’ve always believed that accountability is essential to democracy. That when people violate community standards, violate laws—laws like you can’t interfere with an official proceeding, you can’t assault police officers—that there are consequences.” Heaphy, who investigated the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, also draws striking similarities between that event and the insurrection at the Capitol.

Take a listen:

Find this episode of More To The Story in the Reveal feed on Apple podcasts or your favorite podcast app. And be sure you click follow so you don’t miss a single episode.

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We were built for times like these

Russian bots are impersonating us. Trump and his allies want to silence us. AI wants to (and does!) steal our content. The list goes on. But with 50 years of experience, we know we were built for this moment: We’re ready to keep diving deep and uncovering the truth, then getting that to you right here, completely accessible and never behind a paywall.

While our work is free to read, watch, and listen to online, it’s incredibly costly to make. Court documents, travel, research: It all adds up. Because we’re a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on reader support to fund our investigations. Will you stand with us in these extraordinary times, as headlines clamour for our attention and disinformation is rampant? We can’t get the truth out without you.

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