The Atlantic
Despite considerable hype about foreign interference, the greatest danger to American democracy is domestic.
January 10, 2021
Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
The attack Wednesday on the U.S. Capitol was a product of the modern internet. The far-right extremists who forced their way into the building had consumed viral conspiracy theories about “stolen” elections and a “deep state” cabal theories that President Donald Trump himself amplified. The attackers had been radicalized. They saw themselves as heroes and truth-tellers.
Wednesday was not the first time the United States has been forced to reckon with social media’s impact on its politics. Four years earlier, to the day, American intelligence officials released a report describing Russian efforts to promote Trump’s candidacy and sow doubts about the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, during the 2016 presidential election campaign. As the 2020 election approached, the specter of a renewed foreign effort