You can almost hear the creak of old furniture every time someone in Washington feels the political ground start to shift. There’s a familiar grumble from the folks who got real comfortable in the old arrangement—like someone just walked in and threatened to swap their favorite leather recliner with a folding chair. And sure enough, as President Trump rolls up his sleeves and starts cleaning out the rot, the usual suspects start clutching their pearls.
Enter: outgoing U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, who’s decided to make his retirement tour about one thing—complaining.
When You’re Upset the Old Narrative’s Slipping
According to a recent Fox News report, Chief Manger is very unhappy with President Trump’s decision to pardon January 6th defendants. In fact, he called it “one of the most troubling moments of his career.” That’s a bold statement from a guy who wasn’t even in charge on January 6th.
Manger, set to retire soon, declared he was “angry and as frustrated about that as I’ve ever been professionally,” adding that “somebody’s got to stay here and stand up for these cops.” Now, that sounds nice in a headline. But scratch the surface, and what we really see is a man more upset about Trump undoing his carefully maintained narrative than anything else.
Let’s not forget: Manger didn’t lead the Capitol Police during January 6th. He was brought in after the fact, in July 2021, to help clean up the mess and help cement the government’s version of events. His job wasn’t crisis response—it was spin control. And under his watch, the words “insurrection” and “attack on democracy” became mandatory talking points.
So now, when Trump steps in and says maybe—just maybe—some of those people were railroaded and deserve a second look? Manger loses his mind. Because that’s not just challenging the arrests. That’s challenging the whole post-J6 power structure his allies built on top of the chaos.
Justice for Some, Not for Others
Now here’s where the hypocrisy really kicks in. In the same Fox News article, it’s noted that Manger was also “extremely disappointed” when the Justice Department reached a $5 million settlement with the family of Ashli Babbitt—the unarmed Air Force veteran who was shot and killed inside the Capitol.
He reportedly told his officers that the settlement “sends a chilling message to law enforcement officers across our nation.” Wait a minute. So, according to Manger:
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Pardons for Americans locked up over politically charged protest-related charges = outrageous and frustrating.
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Financial compensation to a family whose daughter was gunned down = extremely disappointing.
What exactly is the standard here? Because from the outside looking in, it seems like Chief Manger’s version of justice only works when it protects the institution—never the citizen.
“Erasing History” or Just Telling All of It?
Of course, Manger’s not the only one who’s cranky. Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries jumped on the bandwagon, screeching that Republicans under “puppet master” Trump are trying to “erase January 6th.” This came in response to—of all things—a plaque honoring Capitol Police that still hasn’t been installed.
Let’s be real: Trump isn’t trying to “erase” anything. He’s doing what the American people asked him to do—clean house. And that includes pulling back the curtain on what really happened on January 6th and in the politically driven fallout that followed.
But that scares the narrative-keepers. Because if you pull at a few threads in the official January 6th story, a lot of things start to unravel—like overzealous prosecutions, media-manufactured hysteria, and blatant double standards.
When Chief Manger said “My cops know what happened,” what he meant was his version of what happened. But America’s ready to hear the rest of the story. And if the new leadership in Washington is brave enough to dig it up, no amount of pearl-clutching from retirees is going to stop that train.
Manger’s Farewell Tour: Less Braveheart, More Bureaucrat
Let’s be honest. Chief Manger’s final statements don’t sound like a heroic last stand—they sound like a man watching the D.C. rulebook he spent three years defending get thrown in the shredder.
President Trump isn’t “erasing” history. He’s righting wrongs. And if that makes the old guard uncomfortable, good. Maybe that means we’re finally getting somewhere.
