2026-09-28 · contested story
Right-wing conservatives push to shut down the last active Jan. 6 prosecution (Ryan J. Reilly/NBC News)
There is now just one active federal prosecution tied to the January 6, 2021 attack: the case of Brian Cole Jr., accused of planting two pipe bombs near the RNC and DNC headquarters the night before the riot. As NBC News (Ryan J. Reilly) reports, this case survived Trump's mass pardon because the devices were placed before the attack, and it has opened a striking rift — some of MAGA's most fervent supporters now want the Trump administration to shut the prosecution down, accusing it of 'framing' Cole and reviving 'deep state' theories that the bombs were an 'inside job.' Cole has pleaded not guilty, was diagnosed with autism, and a trial is set for February.
The framing diverges sharply. The Left (NBC News, JoeMyGod, Yahoo/MSNBC) treats the push to end prosecutions as the culmination of Trump erasing accountability — Yahoo's MSNBC piece declares 'the anti-democracy thugs won, decisively,' while quoting Judge Amit Mehta that dismissals 'diminish the gravity of that day.' Center outlets (Axios, The Hill, Reuters, WSJ, BBC, NPR) report more neutrally on the legal mechanics: the Supreme Court's narrowing of the obstruction statute, judges 'reluctantly' dismissing cases, and DOJ firing or suspending prosecutors, while noting the DOJ 'disagree[s] with the characterization of our reasoning.' The Right (Fox News, The National Desk, Carolina Journal) foregrounds prosecutorial overreach — Fox highlights the Supreme Court ruling 'in favor' of a Jan. 6 participant, while DOJ figures like Todd Blanche frame reversals as correcting 'the prior administration's weaponization of the justice system.'
How each side frames it
left
"The anti-democracy thugs won, decisively."
"The system barely held on Jan. 6, but it hasn't held since. And the next time MAGA Republicans lose a national election, they're in a much better position to successfully pull off the coup that only narrowly failed."
"MAGA Calls For DOJ To Drop DC Pipe Bomber Case"
"Today's epilogue diminishes the gravity of that day, denigrates the work of the prosecutors and law enforcement officers who secured these convictions, and excuses criminal acts"
"at least 97 of the roughly 1,500 pardoned rioters (about 1 in 16) have been arrested, prosecuted or convicted for other crimes"
center
"A DOJ spokesperson told Axios in a statement that they "respect" Mehta's decision but "disagree with the characterization of our reasoning.""
"the court ruled that the law should be interpreted relatively narrowly - and used only against defendants who tampered with documents."
"I am extremely proud of the men and women of the department who are working every day to hold accountable those who committed crimes on Jan. 6"
"Under federal law, prosecutors have wide latitude to pursue or drop criminal cases, and judges rarely second-guess prosecutors' moves to dismiss criminal charges."
"Democrats and Republicans, however, have diverged sharply in their assessments of what happened on January 6 and what policies, if any, should be adopted."
right
"Supreme Court rules in favor of Jan. 6 Capitol riot participant who challenged obstruction conviction"
"Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the move, in a statement, as a course correction from "the prior administration's weaponization of the justice system.""
"The seashells-post indictment caps a multiyear, multiprong campaign led by the President to punish a private citizen based on personal animus, and in retaliation for protected speech"
"The letter did not provide a reason for their removal, effective immediately, citing only "Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States,""
"Federal prosecutors overreached when using an obstruction law to charge hundreds of January 6 rioters"
What each side left out
The right left out — covered by the NBC News & JoeMyGod
- The specific MAGA push to shut down the Cole pipe bomb case
- Bongino's past 'inside job' claims and role advancing the investigation
- Massie calling officials 'complicit' in a conspiracy
The left left out — covered by the BBC News & NPR & WSJ
- The Supreme Court's substantive legal reasoning that prosecutors overreached on the obstruction statute
- Justice Barrett joining liberals in dissent (cutting across ideological lines)
The left left out — covered by the Axios & Maryland Daily Record
- DOJ's stated rationale that it 'disagree[s] with the characterization of our reasoning' and views dismissals as prosecutorial discretion
The center left out — covered by the Yahoo/MSNBC & JoeMyGod
- The moral/democratic-stakes framing that the 'system did not hold' and coup risk
The right left out — covered by the Axios & Yahoo/MSNBC & NBC News
- Judges' 'reluctant' dismissals and their statements condemning the diminishment of Jan. 6
- The $2.7 billion estimated cost of the attack
What's actually true?
[verified] There is just one active federal prosecution still tied to the Jan. 6 attack: the case of the man accused of planting two pipe bombs near the RNC and DNC.
[verified] The pipe bomb case survived Trump's mass pardon because the devices were placed the night before the attack, and so were not covered by the pardon.
[verified] In 2024 Dan Bongino said he had 'zero doubt' the bombs were an inside job, and later, as FBI deputy director, he pushed the stalled investigation forward.
[verified] The Supreme Court ruled that the Justice Department improperly charged some Jan. 6 defendants under an obstruction statute, interpreting it narrowly to apply only to tampering with documents.
[verified] Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants on his first day back in office.
[verified] The DOJ fired at least three prosecutors involved in Jan. 6 cases in June 2025, with a letter signed by AG Pam Bondi citing only 'Article II of the United States Constitution and the laws of the United States.'
[verified] Judge Amit Mehta 'reluctantly' dismissed the final Oath Keepers cases, writing 'This is the last of the prosecutions... That book is now closed.'
[verified] The Justice Department moved to throw out Steve Bannon's conviction for defying a Jan. 6 congressional subpoena, calling dismissal 'in the interests of justice.'
The narrative clash
Whether Jan. 6 prosecutions were legitimate accountability or 'weaponization'/overreach
Left: Today's epilogue diminishes the gravity of that day, denigrates the work of the prosecutors and law enforcement officers who secured these convictions, and excuses criminal acts
Right: a course correction from "the prior administration's weaponization of the justice system."
Whether prosecutors overreached in charging Jan. 6 defendants
Left: There has been no 'grave national injustice,' ... And just because the proclamation was signed by the president does not transform up into down or down into up
Right: Federal prosecutors overreached when using an obstruction law to charge hundreds of January 6 rioters
22 sources analyzed
NBC News The Wall Street Journal The Washington Post NPR Maryland Daily Record JoeMyGod Yahoo! Search The Hill Axios Politico Fox News The National Desk The Damage Report Arizona Daily Star: tucson.com CBS News The Carolina Journal Al Jazeera BBC News Reuters 12News PBS NewsHour KARK