Translated from Danish by Benedicte Thymann Nielsen. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
Posted on January 22, 2021.
Wednesday’s attack on Congress was not an attempted coup in the pure political sense. The threat to democracy does not come from within the state. Instead, it comes from Donald Trump, his fanatic supporters and a Republican Party that is increasingly authoritarian. The question now is whether in the wake of the attack, Republicans will change their strategy, safeguard democracy and tell the truth.
On Jan. 6, Donald Trump stood in front of thousands of supporters; some of them dressed in militia attire, carrying guns, while a few were carrying actual pipe bombs. In an hour-long speech, Trump told his supporters that the election had been stolen from them and that it was their job to take back their country. Trump ended his speech by asking his supporters to head to Capitol Hill, the very symbol of American democracy.