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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →After the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Michael Fanone left the Metropolitan Police Department and became a public advocate for accountability. In an October 2022 interview with Jonathan Capehart, he discussed his recovery, his memoir Hold the Line, and a meeting with then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy that he found deeply unsatisfying. The interview does not establish a specific episode called “Trolling Congress,” so this account focuses on what Fanone actually described.
What happened to Michael Fanone after January 6?
Fanone was among the Metropolitan Police Department officers who responded to the attack on the Capitol. In later congressional testimony, he described being grabbed, restrained, beaten and tased, and said he feared attackers would kill him with his own firearm. A letter he wrote, entered into the Congressional Record on June 30, 2021, described the continuing personal effects of that day and called for recognition of the officers who responded.
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Fanone had served with the Metropolitan Police Department for twenty years and had earlier served briefly with the U.S. Capitol Police. In the October 18, 2022 Washington Post Live interview, he said he had made a full physical recovery and had, in many ways, come to terms with the emotional and psychological injuries he sustained. Those words describe how he characterized his condition at that time, not a current medical assessment.
His account later emphasized that recovery was not the same as being free of lasting effects. In testimony to the House Judiciary Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on March 7, 2024, Fanone said: “While the physical scars of that day have healed, the emotional scars still remain.” The two statements reflect what he said at different moments; they should not be collapsed into a diagnosis or a claim about his present health.
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Did Michael Fanone retire from the police?
No. Fanone corrected the description directly in the 2022 interview: “I did not retire. I resigned.” That distinction matters because resignation is not retirement, and the interview says he did not receive a Metropolitan Police Department pension.
Fanone explained his decision to keep speaking publicly as a continuation of service rather than a departure from his values. As he put it, “just because I’m not a cop, doesn’t mean I don’t, you know, still take my oath to the Constitution seriously.”
What is Hold the Line about?
Hold the Line: The Insurrection and One Cop’s Battle for America’s Soul is a memoir by Michael Fanone and John Shiffman. Simon & Schuster describes it as an account of January 6 that also examines policing, race and politics. The publisher lists a trade paperback, ebook and unabridged audio download; its official book page has the edition details.
What did Fanone say about Kevin McCarthy?
Fanone described a meeting with McCarthy as unsatisfying. He said he felt McCarthy showed indifference to him, fellow officer Harry Dunn and Gladys Sicknick, the mother of officer Brian Sicknick. That is Fanone’s characterization of the encounter and McCarthy’s demeanor; it does not independently establish McCarthy’s motives.
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The October 18, 2022 Washington Post Live conversation, conducted by Jonathan Capehart while Fanone was discussing his memoir, addresses the meeting and Fanone’s criticism of lawmakers’ treatment of the January 6 attack. The available account does not identify a separate stunt or event called “Trolling Congress,” so it would be misleading to attach that phrase to a specific action by Fanone.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why did Fanone keep speaking out?
Fanone framed his public advocacy as a way to honor his oath to the Constitution after leaving policing. His account links that choice to his experience on January 6 and his view that the attack and its aftermath demanded accountability. It is a personal explanation of his motives, not a claim that every former officer would make the same choice.
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For further context, see the Washington Post Live transcript of the October 18, 2022 interview, Fanone’s March 7, 2024 House Judiciary testimony, and his June 30, 2021 letter in the Congressional Record.
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