A Glimmer of Hope for the J-6ers with Tim Rivers

·1 hr 5 min·5 clips

What was the message Donald Trump gave rioters at 3 p.m. on January 6th that almost no one heard?

The episode opens with Sandy Rios recounting a message from Donald Trump on January 6th, which she claims urged peace but was largely unheard. She alleges specific acts of police violence, including the beating of Roseanne Moylan and another woman, as catalysts for the crowd's actions. Rios introduces guest Tim Rivers, a former IBM executive who has dedicated years to supporting J-6ers. Rivers discusses the legal status of those pardoned, noting pardons do not erase criminal records. He describes the emotional and financial struggles of released individuals, with some running for office and others facing lawsuits. The conversation centers on Rivers' three-book series, 'American Gulag Chronicles,' which compiles letters from imprisoned J-6ers. The first books depict despair, while the third, 'The Road to Freedom,' focuses on hope post-pardon. Rivers details the Freedom Ambassador Project, where volunteers met released prisoners at jails across the country. He mentions several grassroots organizations aiding J-6ers, including StopHate.com run by David Sumrall and efforts by Suzanne Monk. Rivers explains his creation of the J6 Historical Panel of Inquiry, a citizen-led panel that took sworn testimony from J-6ers to document their experiences. He announces future plans for a People's Tribune Council and a January 6th Historical Archive Project to preserve evidence. Throughout, Rios and Rivers frame the events as a historical injustice, comparing the treatment of J-6ers to prisoners in Soviet gulags. The episode includes promotional segments for the sponsor Preborn, an anti-abortion organization providing ultrasound machines.

As heard by us

A January 6 argument becomes a pointed discussion of prison records, memory, and freedom.

Sandy Rios 24/7 opens by reading January 6 through Donald Trump's call for peace, law and order, and going home, then places that against the program's account of rioting, police fire, firebombs, burns, and injuries.

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Why you'd press play

You want January 6 framed through Trump's call for peace, then carried into prison letters, memory, and hope.

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