Dunn, who is Black, was subjected to racial slurs. He helped tend to wounded officers and protect members of Congress. Since that day almost four years ago, Dunn has testified before the Jan. 6 Congressional Committee, written a book about his experience and been a guest on The View. He even ran, unsuccessfully, to represent Maryland in Congress earlier this year.
“I lost my election,” he said last week. “See how easy that was?”
Friday, Dunn was in Arizona to stump for Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is running for Senate against Republican election denier Kari Lake. He and Gallego first met in the Capitol’s halls, long before Jan. 6. Now, ensuring Gallego’s election is one step in Dunn’s wider mission of protecting democracy.
Dunn’s political action committee Dunn’s Democracy Defenders has raised $5.4 million for U.S. Senate and House candidates this election cycle, including $2,500 for Gallego’s campaign in late June. Dunn put his mouth where his PAC’s money is, appearing Friday at a town hall alongside Gallego and Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. In front of a crowd of about 50 people at Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix, the three discussed threats to democracy.
One of those threats, Dunn told the attendees, is Lake. The former newscaster is “one of the most dangerous election deniers,” he said. He added “I blame you, Kari Lake,” for Jan. 6 — though it’s worth noting that Lake’s particular brand of election denialism didn’t spread until she announced her run for governor later that year.
After the town hall, Dunn spoke to Phoenix New Times about Jan. 6, Gallego and Lake. His answers have been edited slightly for length and clarity.
Phoenix New Times: What was your experience on Jan. 6?
Dunn: It was what you saw on TV, on the internet. It was that and then some for the officers that were there — 100 times worse than what people saw.
I was lucky. I didn’t receive the physical attacks that a lot of my coworkers did. I wasn’t beaten. I got a little bit of pepper spray. I was called racial slurs. But I was attending to a lot of my coworkers’ physical injuries. People couldn’t see because they took a can of bear spray to the face, or somebody came in with blood dripping out of their eyes. The crazy thing about it, the heroic thing about it, is they got a little paper towel and water, wiped it off and went right back to those front lines.
At the end of the day, the election was certified. And our work wasn’t in vain. As ugly as it was, the good guys won.
What specifically drew you to get involved in Ruben Gallego’s race?
Ruben is a friend of mine. He listens to people, he cares. That alone, no matter who he was running against, was enough motivation for me to support him.
But who he’s running against made it even more motivating for me. Kari Lake to this day is an election denier. And the people who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 are spewing the same rhetoric that Kari Lake does. And it's dangerous because you saw what happened. She’s still spewing it. So we need to do whatever we can to keep her as far away from power as possible, and Ruben is the person to do that.
Former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn talks to voters alongside U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego at Changing Hands Bookstore.
Morgan Fischer
During the town hall, you called her “the most dangerous election denier” and said you blamed her for Jan. 6.
Just because of the rhetoric she’s spewing. People at the Capitol were saying that the election was stolen. And that’s the rhetoric she has been spewing since she came onto the scene.
She still has lawsuits challenging the validity of the election. It’s dangerous because it led to Jan. 6. She’s parroting everything Donald Trump is saying — and even louder in some instances.
When did you first meet Ruben? And how did that friendship change after Jan. 6?
I don’t remember the exact moment that we met. One of my posts was right at the top of the House Chamber. A lot of the time during votes, after votes, between votes, congresspeople would come out and just wait and talk on the phone there because the press is all inside. I remember multiple times us just talking, busting each other chops. He’s just a fun guy.
Our relationship after Jan. 6 didn’t change much. Jan. 6 showed me what kind of fighter he was. He always cared about us. He cared from the start. It didn’t take Jan. 6 for him to come around.
What do you hope Arizona voters take away from your story?
If Jan. 6 didn’t happen, then you’re not sitting down with me talking. I’m still working at the Capitol; I’m a police officer. But here we are. And the threat of another Jan. 6 still looms because democracy is on the ballot.
Some people believe in preserving it — Ruben. And others don’t care about it at all — Kari Lake.
People’s voices need to be heard. We need to make sure that we strengthen our democracy with people that are champions of it and not people who would rather see it wilt away.
How does it make you feel when Trump and his followers continue to push election denialism?
I wouldn’t be relevant if people would acknowledge the truth. Accountability would be served. Donald Trump would have been impeached. This whole “election was stolen” thing wouldn’t have been an issue.
Republicans who say the election wasn’t stolen are cast out of the Republican party, which is now the party of Trump. The litmus test is “Do you believe the election was stolen?” If your answer is anything but “yes,” bye! There’s no place for it.
Trump’s campaign is built on a lie. J.D. Vance had an opportunity to end it during the vice presidential debate and say, “Donald Trump lost the election, but we are going to win this one.” He didn’t take it. Because the litmus is loyalty to one person, not to the Constitution. Not to democracy. Not to the voters. It’s to one person, and that’s Donald Trump. That’s what Kari Lake is doing, showing her loyalty to one man. Not the people of the state that she’s vowing to represent.
How does Democracy Defenders PAC choose which races and candidates to support?
Democracy Defenders, that’s literally what it is — people who believe that democracy is worth fighting for. I believe in being a solutions-oriented person. I lost my election. See how easy that was? How can I continue to make a difference?
Donald Trump says he wants to be a dictator on day one. Those are his words. Not mine. He said he supports terminating the Constitution. Those are his words. Those people are dangerous. And Kari Lake will be right there with him on day one, doing his bidding. And that is dangerous to defending democracy.
Ruben, as a person serving his country as a Marine and in the House of Representatives, has been a public servant. He believes in fighting for democracy, whether you agree with him or not. The other side is either you agree with me or you don’t matter. And that’s dangerous. So that’s why Ruben is the clear choice for the people of Arizona.
