I spoke last night to my friend and former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn. If there’s anyone who knows about political violence, it’s Harry. He lived it. Before we spoke, I went back and read his account of what happened on January 6th and was leveled.
Harry Dunn reported for duty that day in early 2021 expecting, at most, another routine protest outside Congress. By mid-morning, he and his colleagues were growing uneasy. A message circulated online by militants calling for “marching orders” and warning fellow demonstrators to “keep your guns hidden.” Soon, reports of a breached fence and officers under assault reached his radio.
Donning body armor and carrying his M4 rifle, Harry sprinted to the west terrace of the U.S. Capitol — where the inauguration was set to be held in just two weeks — and saw from above as officers were in desperate hand-to-hand combat. Beaten with flagpoles and bike racks. He rushed down and tried to give aid but was forced back inside as rioters poured in, carrying Confederate flags and MAGA banners.
“Officers were being bloodied in the fighting,” Harry later explained. “Many were screaming, and many were blinded and coughing from chemical irritants being sprayed in their faces.”
He tried to hold back the tide of rioters. But it was pointless. So Harry rushed to defend the Office of the Speaker, where he was confronted by a crush of militants in tactical gear. They spat and shouted at him that the Capitol was “their house!” and that “Nobody voted for Joe Biden!” Gas burning his eyes, Harry replied:
“Well, I voted for Joe Biden. Does my vote not count? Am I nobody?”
The crowd responded with screaming and booing. Then the racist epithets began, starting with a woman in a pink shirt. It was the first time in his career he’d been called the N-word in uniform.
It became a whack-a-mole and futile effort to save the seat of American government. From corridor to corridor, he fought to keep the building from being ransacked in its entirety. He helped evacuate injured officers and spent hours forcing rioters out of the building until he was so exhausted he could hardly stand. When it was over — when the building had been cleared — he sat in the Rotunda. The Capitol was trashed.
He huddled with a fellow black officer and just broke down.
“How the [expletive] can something like this happen?” he said to his colleague between tears. “Is this America?”
* * *
I admire Harry’s courage. Even more than that, I admire his resilience. He’s made it his mission since the day after the insurrection to speak out — and keep speaking out — about the threats of political violence and censorship in this country. If you don’t have the time to listen to our full conversation, I pulled a handful of snippets below. Heed Harry’s words.
We’re entering difficult times. But these are the type of noble patriots you’ll be standing next to in the fight to protect our country and our rights to speak openly, free of fear. People like Harry Dunn will be alongside you. He’ll have your back … he’ll stand his ground and won’t give up … and he won’t let the place come tumbling down around you. How do you know? Because he’s done it before.
On silence and fear
“An intended consequence of what this administration’s doing is to scare people into being silent when we need them to be the loudest right now.” — Harry Dunn
On the meaning of courage
“Courage is not the absence of fear. I go out there and my mind is racing… It’s a scary time to be an outspoken person, especially against this regime. But courage is contagious.” — Harry Dunn
On political violence and hypocrisy
“Donald Trump encouraged violence, championed it, and then pardoned the people that committed those acts against me and my coworkers.” — Harry Dunn
On accountability after January 6th
“When we refused to hold Donald Trump accountable, it made me feel like the American people didn’t care. That was a gut punch.” — Harry Dunn
On the danger of political avoidance
“People say, ‘I don’t do politics.’ Well, politics does you. Everything in your life is affected by politics. Never avoid having political conversations.” — Harry Dunn
On fighting for the future
“America is who they showed us to be on November 5th, but we deserve and we can do better. And I’m going to keep on fighting until we get that better.” — Harry Dunn
On persistence
“They want you to quit. Don’t give them the satisfaction. If you want to resist, keep resisting — keep showing up. Even kicking and screaming.” — Harry Dunn
(Thank you
, , , , , and many others for tuning in.)
P.S. WHAT’S HAPPENING ON TREASON
Don’t miss upcoming Substack LIVE events:
Today / Friday (4pmET) - War Department unleashed? - I’ll be joined on Substack LIVE by former CNN correspondent Barbara Starr to discuss how the Pentagon is being turned against Americans. You can join here.
Tuesday (5pmET) - Alex Vindman fights intimidation - I’ll be joined on Substack LIVE by former White House national security official-turned-whistleblower Alex Vindman to discuss how to fight back against government-sponsored intimidation. This is a discussion everyone needs to hear, from the corporate board rooms of ABC News to the universities capitulating to Trump’s threats. You can join here.
BONUS: Pieces you may have missed earlier this week
