Three years later, the nation’s scars from Jan. 6, 2021, continue to chafe. The pillars of our democracy held on that day, but they have been weakened and they remain under attack. The need to bolster that democracy remains dire, calling for sober reflection and active participation from all citizens.
Until that day three years ago, most Americans had considered our nation immune from internal attacks on democracy. But they had not accurately measured the willful narcissism of Donald Trump and his unwillingness to adhere to political norms or acknowledge the truth.
After weeks of repeating the lie that he actually had defeated Joe Biden in the November 2020 election, Trump told a crowd of supporters, “We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
A short time later, those supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol in an effort to prevent the certification of the Electoral College vote. The result was the most divisive attack by Americans on Americans since the Civil War.
Three years later, those divisions persist, driven in part by inexplicably persistent support for Trump. Regardless of what one thinks of his policies as president, it is nonsensical for Americans who have faith in the Constitution to absolve Trump for his actions.
First, he incessantly repeated the lie that the election was fraudulent. The facts tell a different story. More than 60 courts in multiple states rejected those claims, including dozens helmed by Trump-appointed judges. Fox News agreed to a $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Services after repeating false assertions that Dominion machines had flipped votes. Trump acolyte Rudy Giuliani was ordered to pay $148 million in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers.
At some point, we hope, even the most ardent Trump supporters will have to acknowledge that his claims are bereft of evidence. We also hope they acknowledge that Tucker Carlson, then a Fox News host, texted to a colleague on Jan. 4, 2021, about Trump, “I hate him passionately. … I can’t handle much more of this.”
It is clear from multiple angles that the lies are driven by avarice rather than a quest for truth.
Meanwhile, more than 1,100 defendants — including Trump — have been charged with crimes for their role in the attack on the Capitol. More than 450 have been sentenced to incarceration, with penalties ranging from a handful of days to more than 20 years.
Democracy has remained steadfast. It endured the attack, with congressional members and then-Vice President Mike Pence carrying out their duty to certify a free and fair election. It has endured since, with many of those who engaged in an insurrection being held accountable under our system of justice.
But the threat has not passed. The Republican National Committee characterized the attackers as “ordinary citizens who engaged in legitimate political discourse.” Trump has vowed to pardon insurrectionists if he returns to the presidency. And many Americans continue to believe Trump’s lies and to engage in semantics about what constitutes an insurrection.
But the facts are indisputable. American democracy came under attack three years ago today, with violent protesters vowing to hang the vice president and sending members of Congress scrambling for safety. It was an ugly, shameful, unforgettable day, and one that may someday be viewed as a turning point in our nation’s proud history. The questions about which direction we will turn, however, are still lingering.
