Secret Jan 6 Memorial Plaque Unearthed: House GOP Accused of Hiding Tribute to the 'Men and Women Who Protected the Capitol'
Speaker Mike Johnson has been accused of refusing to display a plaque honoring Capitol Police officers.
Jan. 6 2026, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Republican lawmakers have been accused of attempting to hide a plaque dedicated to law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol from a mob of vengeful Donald Trump supporters on January 6, 2021, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Officer Brian Sicknick was assaulted by rioters and collapsed at the Capitol. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died the following day. More than 140 officers were injured in the attack, four of whom committed suicide in the days and months following the assault.
While a plaque honoring the law enforcement heroes has been completed for several years – and a law passed with bipartisan support in 2022 ordering its permanent public display – the memorial has been collecting dust in a random Capitol basement room.
Finger-pointing accused Speaker Mike Johnson of standing in the way of the plaque's installation.
January 6 Plaque 'Hidden' in Capitol's Basement
Rep. Joe Morelle shared a video of the completed plaque stored in a basement warehouse in May 2025.
Democratic Rep. Joe Morelle shared a video on Instagram in May 2025 of himself finding the plaque "intended to honor police who gave their lives on January 6th during the attack on the Capitol" in a basement storage room.
"Sadly, Speaker Johnson has chosen not to display it despite an agreement to do that," Morell said in the video. "It's a beautiful tribute to the men and women who protected the Capitol during the onslaught."
In a follow-up post, Morelle shared a video of himself standing beside a replica of the discarded plaque hanging outside his office.
"On January 6, 2021, President Trump incited a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol – and yet the plaque honoring the officers who defended us sits forgotten in the basement," his caption read. "If Speaker Johnson won't display it, then I will. I'm proud to affix this replica outside my office."
Speaker Mike Johnson's office claimed the statue ordering the plaque's display is 'not implementable'
More than 100 other lawmakers have followed suit and displayed their own replicas outside of the office, including those in the vicinity of Johnson's office.
Meanwhile, Johnson, along with the Department of Justice have sought to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Capitol Police officers Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges requesting the plaque be displayed as ordered by law.
The bronze plaque, which features the Capitol building and the names of more than 20 law enforcement agencies, was ordered by law to be displayed in the Capitol's West Front within a year.
Speak Mike Johnson Stalls Plaque's Installation
Lawmakers challenged Johnson by displaying replica plaques outside their offices.
In federal testimony, the Architect of the Capitol, who is responsible for obtaining and displaying the memorabilia, said final installation instructions needed to come from Speaker Johnson, who has repeatedly attempted to downplay the events of January 6, 2021.
Johnson's office claimed the statute ordering the plaque is "not implementable," despite Congress' previous orders.
The Department of Justice also claimed the plaque cannot be installed because it does not currently bear the names of the 3,600 police officers who defended the Capitol five years ago, even though such a request would require significantly more space than the plaque has to offer.
Trump Pardons January 6th Offenders
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Trump issued pardons for 1,500 January 6th offenders on the first day of his second term.
The back-and-forth between Johnson, the DOJ, and House Democrats isn't exactly surprising, given that Trump pardoned 1,500 January 6 offenders on the first day of his second term in January 2025.
Trump previously called the riot at the Capitol a "day of love," while Johnson supported challenging the results of the 2020 election.
Scrutiny over the plaque comes as the House Judiciary Committee quietly released the transcript and video from former special counsel Jack Smith's closed-door testimony.
Smith, who investigated the president's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election and the handling of missing classified documents, told lawmakers under oath the events of January 6th at the Capitol "does not happen" without Trump.
