6 months ago today I wore this blue suit as I cleaned the Capitol after the insurrection, now I just donated it to the Smithsonian. Jan6 must never be forgotten. While some try to erase history, I will fight to tell the story so it never happens again. Here is one story…(THREAD) 
STORY OF THE BLUE SUIT: When the Smithsonian asked me to donate the blue suit, I thought about how the suit itself is unremarkable. Bought off-the-rack at JCrew during a holiday sale. I wanted a bright blue new suit to wear to Biden’s inauguration. Then Jan 6 happened…2/17
JANUARY 6: I woke with the news of the wins in Georgia. I decided to wear the blue suit. I bought it to be a suit of celebration, and I thought what better way to give the suit meaning than to wear it when I confirm the electoral college and then later to the inauguration. 3/17
Like my suit, what I did on Jan 6 on its face was unremarkable. I saw a mess and cleaned it. I wanted to right the wrongs of that day as quickly and as tangibly as I could. Neither my suit nor my actions are on their own worthy of memory, but the story didn’t end there. 4/17
JANUARY 13: The last time I wore the blue suit wasn’t Jan 6, it was Jan13. I wore it when I walked onto the House floor to cast my vote for impeachment. The suit still had dust on the knees from Jan6. I wore it so I would have no doubt about the truth of what happened. 5/17
When I got home I vowed to never wear the suit again. I even considered throwing it away. It only brought back terrible memories. I could never separate that suit from the events of Jan6. I hid it in my closet as I never wanted to see it again. But then something happened. 6/17
In the following days, I started to receive thousands of cards from across the country. Many from kids. Strangers who wanted to tell me how they felt when they saw the photo of me. They talked about the blue suit. The suit meant something different to them than it did to me.7/17
People wrote saying the blue suit gave them a sense of resilience and hope. For me, I was in a tough place. In days after Jan6 I had an unshakable regret that I didn’t do more to keep people safe. But feeling of hope/resilience in the cards helped me feel stronger. Thank you.8/17
The Smithsonian called later in January. Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about how the day would be remembered as I was still living it. In fact, after the call, I had to pull over on the side of I-95 as I started to tear up uncontrollably while driving home. I was still not ok.9/17
When the Smithsonian requested the suit, I tried to imagine what an exhibit about Jan6 would look like. Perhaps it would have broken glass from shattered doors, torn flags and signs. Video of the mob trying to hijack our democracy. But there was so much more to that day. 10/17
The story of that day wasn’t just destruction. There was hope and resilience. The Capitol Police were heroes that saved lives. Colleagues and staff showed bravery. I hope those stories are told. They help tell a story of light on one of the darkest days in our democracy. 11/17
I told the Smithsonian yes to donating the blue suit because the telling of the story of Jan6 isn’t optional, it is necessary. There are many stories of Jan6. Mine is just one. We cannot heal as a nation unless we have truth. Let truth be truth. 12/17
There are those trying to erase what happened, voting against commissions/committees aimed at documenting history. They say just move on and turn the page. But I say, you can’t turn the page of American history until you write the page first. 13/17
Instead of trying to erase history they don’t like after the fact, politicians should just act in a way that doesn’t produce such shameful results. It’s not hard to not incite or cover up an insurrection. 14/17
Smithsonian is entrusted to help tell the story of America. It isn’t always a pretty story, but it is an unfinished story with the persistent hope that it will improve and that we can repair our faults. More importantly, it is our story. It is shared truth binding us as one.15/17
Patriotism isn’t to think we are infallible; it is to know we make mistakes but to love our nation and one another with care enough to fix the injustices that remain. To know our resilience. To have humility to know that we are a part of something bigger than all of us. 16/17
It’ll be surreal to one day take my kids to the Smithsonian and show them the blue suit behind glass. I hope they grow to know the truth of Jan6, but I also hope the story ultimately is one of hope and resilience. I hope that is what they and others see in the blue suit. END
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
