Thursday, October 1, 2026
Rep. Tom Suozzi engaged in a heated confrontation outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday with a group of demonstrators who had received pardons for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack, leading to a tense verbal exchange and the intervention of U.S. Capitol Police officers.
Suozzi, a Democrat from Glen Cove, encountered the protesters as they gathered outside the Capitol. Members of the group waved American flags and held signs, including some that said, “Thanks for our pardons!” The ensuing exchange was witnessed by reporters and others and was widely captured on video, including footage later posted on X.
Suozzi was met by curses and insults, including being called a “fraud” and a “traitor.” One protester asked him, “How do you feel [with] the power of the American people surrounding you? We the people?” Protesters also made remarks about the events of Jan. 6.
Jan. 6, 2021, marked the day when Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Large crowds assembled in Washington, D.C., for rallies, and some individuals later breached security perimeters at the U.S. Capitol and entered the building, disrupting certification proceedings. During the breach, violence occurred, including clashes with law enforcement, assaults on officers, windows being smashed, the use of chemical irritants, and vandalism inside the building. Congress reconvened later that night and completed the certification in the early hours of Jan. 7.
Suozzi, who was inside the House chamber during those events, grew irritated during Tuesday’s confrontation and responded by questioning the group about violence directed at law enforcement that day. He asked, “How do you feel about beating up police officers? How do you feel about tasing police officers? How do you feel about committing crimes?”
Capitol Police officers eventually positioned themselves on both sides of Suozzi and escorted him away from the crowd. As he was being guided from the scene, he instructed the demonstrators to “settle down!”
Earlier Tuesday, Suozzi posted video on X that he recorded five years ago from inside the House chamber as the Capitol was under attack, including footage taken as lawmakers were escorted to shelter.
He also posted multiple written reflections on the fifth anniversary of Jan. 6. In a midafternoon post, Suozzi wrote, “I was in the House chamber inside the Capitol on January 6. It was very real. That day, I rededicated myself to overcoming the extremism and partisanship that has plagued our county. It is the only way forward.” He added, “We cannot ignore history.”
In a morning post, he reflected on being among the last to leave the chamber. “As one of the last people to leave the House chamber during the storming of the Capitol, that day is permanently seared into my memory. It was a frightening and shameful moment for our democracy, one that can never be normalized and must never be allowed to happen again,” he wrote.
Suozzi also addressed the pardons related to Jan. 6, writing, “The one thing I disagree with President Trump the most, was the pardoning of the January 6th criminals.”
Suozzi did not comment to the Herald as of press time regarding the confrontation outside the Capitol.
