Jamie Raskin’s year of grief and purpose

On Jan. 5, 2021, Rep. Jamie Raskin buried his only son. The next day he witnessed firsthand the attack on the Capitol. As we mark a year since the insurrection, we look at how Raskin dealt with his son’s death while serving on democracy’s front lines.

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A warning to listeners: This episode deals with suicide. If you or someone you know needs help now, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. You can also reach a crisis counselor by texting HOME to 741-741.

A year ago this week, as Congress convened to certify the results of the presidential election, a mob breached the U.S. Capitol, attacked police and threatened lawmakers.

Later that night, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) emerged as one of the day’s most forceful voices, condemning President Donald Trump and his supporters and speaking of his own unthinkable loss. He had recently lost his only son to suicide and had buried him just the day before.

As we mark a year since the Jan. 6 Insurrection, we talk to Washington Post features writer Caitlin Gibson about how Raskin dealt with his son’s death while serving on democracy’s front lines — and, in a year filled with trauma and grief, about why his story has resonated so deeply with so many.

Raskin’s memoir was published this week. It’s called “Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy.”

Caitlin Gibson’s profile of Raskin first appeared in The Washington Post Magazine.