Don Berthiaume, President Donald Trump’s nominee for inspector general at the US Department of Justice, declines to describe the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot as an “attack” during his Senate confirmation hearing. While testifying before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, he is questioned by senators about the appropriate characterization of the events. According to reporting, Berthiaume does not provide the specific phrasing lawmakers seek and instead refers to the incident in more general terms, characterizing it as “protests and such.” The exchanges occur as part of his effort to move from acting or temporary inspector general duties to a permanent role. The reports describe the hearing as focused on how an independent watchdog should frame and assess the riot when conducting or overseeing investigations. Both accounts characterize the refusal as a central point of contention in the nomination process and note that Berthiaume is a career Justice Department employee who has been serving as inspector general at the agency.