January 27, 2021
What was thought to be a vociferous "protest" to the status of free and fair elections in the United States, exposed the actual, horrible legacy for the MAGA ("Make America Great Again") crowd. The world watched the most powerful country in the world having Capitol Police drawing their weapons to protect members of Congress while certifying the 2020 federal election. While there probably were Trump supporters who were angry that he lost, the militancy of some of the actions of a small, but passionate and vocal group, and what we witnessed on television will ultimately, indirectly seal the real legacy of Donald J. Trump.
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When members of Congress were certifying their state's Electoral College voters on January 6th, President Trump rallied his supporters a short distance from the Capitol. He rambled on about his "landslide victory," and the "stolen election," and it was certainly not the best language to use after a long, drawn-out campaign that resulted in Joe Biden's victory in a still-divided country. While I am sure there was fraud on some small level, I don't believe there is any evidence that would throw into doubt President Trump's loss or that votes were given to the candidate from which they were not intended. I believe what really determined his defeat was his administration's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lack of empathy and understanding by the President for Americans who were dealing with the trauma of losing loved ones under tough economic times.
It was not helpful to say his re-election was robbed, however, to millions of voters watching on television, not to mention the thousands that descended on Washington, D.C. to protest the election certification. Mr. Trump was throwing a large dose of fuel on the inflamed tensions. I know of no member of Congress who sincerely believes that the election was stolen from Donald Trump, and saying anything in the affirmative is incendiary. Most were implying this on a minor, and obfuscatory level because it played well politically. Many Republicans are nervous of potential primary challenges for their cushy and secure seats, so they went along with this inflammatory rhetoric, and the riots that followed President Trump's address was a result of this post-election build-up. Those who promoted a lie should be voted out of office, or demoted from plum committee assignments, and ethics inquiries should be opened.
The storming of the United States Capitol was one of the darkest moments in American history, and a stain on the virtue of American democracy. Regardless of what people think of Donald Trump, his behavior regarding this volatile time will be the exclamation point of his tenure in the White House. His very damaging words, without proof, that his rightful re-election was taken from him, is the root cause of what happened the first week in January. The subsequent violence by his supporters overflowed into a confrontation with the U.S. Capitol Police, which resulted in the deaths of one police officer (Brian Sicknick) and 4 MAGA supporters (Ashli Babbit, Kevin Greeson, Rosanne Boyd, and Ben Phillips). Their deaths could have been avoided, and while I think there are extremists of all stripes, I agree with Vox's Zack Beauchamp that this dark day will be owned by Donald Trump and certain elements within the Republican party. Threats of violence by the opposition to the party in power have escalated going back decades, from Alaska Congressman Don Young (R) stating that if the government tried to tax firearms purchases any more, that a new government (not administration) should be constituted. Republican Sharon Angle, who was running for the U. S. Senate in Nevada in 2010, said during her campaign that "Americans might need to take up arms against the tyrannical Obama administration, and the Democratic Congress," or might want to use "2nd amendment remedies (Beauchamp-Vox)." For a long time, it was primarily Republicans (especially Tea Party Republicans) who would use the potential use of violence if certain rights were threatened, especially the 2nd amendment.
However, Donald Trump's election has thrown the extreme Left, and certain folks in the Democratic party, into this armed confrontation frenzy as well. This was never part of the liberal orthodoxy, and adherents were generally passive when it came to a confrontation. Many Democrats never did come to terms that President Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016. There were videos online of various progressive groups wargaming for election night this year, and in one case, in particular, talking about the use of weapons (and that Republicans had more of them) in case the other side did not accept defeat. The country is close to the point of no return. The Democrats can no longer take the high road of abhorring the use of violence to achieve political ends. Cooler heads must prevail from the first days of the Biden administration to preserve a better future for forthcoming generations.
That being said, I feel that Donald Trump's rhetoric was the primary cause of the Capitol Hill riots, and these deaths are on his shoulders. This whole day could have been avoided. As I have said earlier, President Trump had the legal right to challenge certain state vote certifications, but once it was obvious time and evidence were not on his side, he needed to do the right thing and assuage the supporters of his loss and concede this election with magnanimity. While people may not have liked him, it would have been the gracious thing to do and set an example of what to do even when you lose. That gesture was necessary and did not happen. Vice President Mike Pence was dignified and called Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and congratulated her on her victory, while sadly, President Trump did not concede to President Joe Biden.
The political chatter I am reading about have people invoking the "Rheistag Fire" in 1930s Weimar Germany as similar to the Capitol Hill riots. That was an alleged conspiracy that the Nazi party and Adolf Hitler exploited to win power and usher in an authoritarian government and loss of democracy. While I do not see that happening in the United States, I do see the Democrats exploiting the event to vanquish Donald Trump, his supporters, and the Republican party for a generation or more. That is a real possibility, since the riots are now part of GOP history, and it might relegate the party's national aspirations to exile for the next decade at least. This is sad because the most vibrant democracies around the world have a multitude of perspectives, parties, and policy opinions.
Since that day, the Democratic party has impeached President Trump for the second time (and first since he left office), and the Senate is now preparing for yet another impeachment trial in the well of the upper chamber. Additionally, prominent Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have demanded that Republican Senators who took part in the legal challenging election results (Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley) resign their positions. This is flagrantly aggressive in demonizing and crushing any political discourse in the United States. It will not help the country "heal," but drive resentment underground, where it is most dangerous, rather than working through it and trying to live to the ideals of the country's founding. In turn, it will lead to reciprocal violence and vindictiveness when one side wins and wants to punish opposing viewpoints. If that is the new norm for American democracy, no one can claim the moral high ground anymore.
Our democracy only works when we acknowledge defeat in political elections, understand that the victors have a legal claim to governance, and respect the rule of law, regardless of disagreement. The events of January 6, 2021, are the direct result of the Republican party not complying with the above sentiments. However, I do not absolve the Democratic party of playing a role in this malignancy in the American political system. To truly heal something, one must nurture and support on both sides. If the Biden administration wants to heal the country, pettiness and revenge must not rule the day. President Trump has cemented and tarnished any good he might have done while in office, and his legacy is set in stone for eternity. If Joe Biden wants to be remembered as a great President, he needs to start now and be forgiving, gracious, and more importantly, nurture Americans to acknowledge the great differences in political thought, and not to punish those citizens because of it. There are 74 million Trump supporters, it would be good for Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris to find out why they adore President Trump and seek to bridge the chasm with their party's agenda. The direction of our country must move toward a more healthy and vibrant democracy. Our tribal politics toward one another is not healthy for our freedoms and protections and cannot sustain those ideals in their current form. I do hope President Biden has some success in this regard.
Your balanced viewpoint placing responsibility on both Republicans and Democrats for the problem and to work cohesively to resolve issues could not have come at a better time. Lets hope that a larger readership will acknowledge the impasse and try to influence their legislators to take action for the future of our country.
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