January 6, 2021 marked a dark day in American history and democracy. People across the world watched as a mob of extremists, in support of Donald Trump, stormed the United States Capitol and broke into sacred places of our democracy while attacking Capitol security officers and posing a threat to our elected officials in the U.S. Congress, who were present at the time of the riots.
The events that led up to these riots can be traced back to Trump himself, who has been adamant in his claims that the election, won by Joe Biden, was “stolen” as a result of voter fraud and a conspiracy by the Democrats to produce fake mail-in ballots. These unproven claims slowly spiraled into many of Trump’s former allies cutting ties with him - including his Vice President, Mike Pence, who refused to block Congress’ confirmation of Biden’s victory and ultimately stated that his loyalties lie with the Constitution, not with Trump. In response, Trump said that Pence “didn’t have the courage” to stand behind him. And in a rally that had been held beforehand, Trump frequently told his followers to “fight” and that they needed to “take back the country,” as well as encouraging them to march down to the Capitol.
In the aftermath of these riots, questions about America’s state of democracy and our current socio-political climate have arisen. Newly elected President Joe Biden has pointed to these riots as an example of America’s need for unity and healing, a common theme throughout his campaign. Democracy relies on common acceptance of universal truths and commitment to democratic values regardless of party interests, which has been severely strained by the partisan divides that marked the past two elections and which created extremism like that found at the Capitol riots. Additionally, many people have pointed to the difference in response by law enforcement to the Capitol riots and the Black Lives Matter protests that have been occurring since early last year. And on the other side of the partisan divide, many have called the total social media ban on Trump a silencing of free speech and an agenda to punish conservative ideas. The sole theme that the vast majority of Americans can agree upon is the condemnation of these riots, and a desire to return to the true values of democracy, even while partisan debates continue.
American law enforcement and the FBI have been investigating the riots and arresting the people who were involved. Some of the activities that are being looked into are the death threats made by rioters for Congress members, theft of items from the Capitol (including Nancy Pelosi’s laptop, which the perpetrator then attempted to sell to Russia), and assault against the Capitol Police, among other charges. Members of Congress have regrouped and recovered, immediately impeaching Trump for a second time just a week after the riots and one week before his term expired. With the inauguration already passed, the responsibility will now fall on newly elected President Joe Biden to mend partisan wounds, seek justice, and maintain peace for the American people.
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