From the Capitol to the city council: How extremism in the U.S. shifted after Jan. 6

Denise Aguilar was in Washington on Jan. 6, appearing as a featured speaker at the “Health Freedom” stage — one of the many events held hours before a wide range of far-right groups and Trump supporters would storm the Capitol.

Shortly after the riot, Aguilar claimed in a since-deleted Instagram video that “we stormed the Capitol, and patriots broke open the doors” and “we’re taking back our states.” She called the day a “revolution.”

Nearly a year later, Aguilar appeared at a more low-key event with a different tone: a school board meeting in San Joaquin County, just south of Sacramento. That evening, the board would be considering Covid vaccine guidance for the district’s students, and she was there to raise her voice against any government mandates.

The shift from national to local is one with a purpose.