Long before the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Donald Trump told us who he is. Rewind to 1989 when he called for the execution of the Central Park Five in a full-page ad in The New York Times, then said nothing when it was found that the five Black and Latino men had been wrongly convicted. Remember that he started his campaign in 2015 by descending a golden escalator and calling Mexicans criminals and rapists. Never forget that he stood on a Helsinki stage with Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2018 and sided with him over his own country’s intelligence community about Russian interference in the U.S. elections. It was hard to be surprised that this man—this criminal, anti-democratic malignancy—would incite an angry horde of Americans to attack the Capitol in order to illegally hold onto power after losing the 2020 election.
But the reality that thousands of Americans followed his wishes by engaging in the ugly attacks on January 6 remains difficult and painful to tolerate on this third anniversary of that day. The combustible behavior of a mob (that included extremist operatives) to overwhelm police lines, smash windows to enter the building and invade the Senate chambers. The chants to hang Mike Pence. The bloody violence that left 140 police officers injured and led to at least five deaths. All of this in service to a sociopath who rejects American values and hungers to turn the country into a fascist dictatorship.
As I see it, this was a seismic day that revealed the terrible depths to which fellow citizens could be activated to reject the peaceful transfer of power, a sacred tradition that had defined the American experiment in an unbroken line for more than two centuries. This awful day made painfully clear—if the previous four years hadn’t—the fragility of America’s democratic institutions if the leaders who gave an oath to uphold them abandon their duty. The violence of January 6 was not an isolated event, but part of an ongoing effort to degrade peoples’ capacity to know what’s true and what’s not, what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s tolerable in a democratic society and what creates the conditions to toss it all away.
The aftermath—the failure of the Senate to convict the ringleader, the revisionist lies by GOP enablers about what happened and who was involved, the continuing judicial struggles to hold Trump accountable, the failure to charge any election-denying GOP members of Congress—reminds us that this battle for American democracy and justice is not behind us but remains in front of us. It makes clear to me the duty of a lifetime to confront the political forces who reject free and fair elections, support political violence, and accept that equality, justice and the rule of law can be abandoned if it serves their interests to get and keep power.
What do you think? How has the January 6 attack affected you? How has it changed your thinking and your choices? Does it make you more determined to participate in the elections this year? (You can read more on my views in this essay from the first anniversary in 2022.)
As always, I look forward to reading your observations and the opportunity for this thoughtful, growing community to learn from each other. Please do be respectful of each other in your comments.
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*Photo: Invading the U.S. Capitol. By Shay Horse/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
Honestly, I don’t know if the attack itself affected me as much as the widespread collaboration of the GOP political leadership in the multi-pronged plot to overturn the election, followed by the near universal Chamberlinian capitulation to the Trumpist post 1.6 whitewashing and gaslighting.
Watching irrefutable evidence that our national conservative party had been swallowed whole by far right nativist authoritarianism was a deep shock to my understanding of our national character. I hadn’t realized until then how much I had internalized my own version of American exceptionalism and the disillusionment was and remains profound.
I don’t know how any American could not be affected by the January 6 insurrection. When I see photos or videos from that day, I’m still shocked, disgusted, and in disbelief.
My local precinct committee chair person has reached out to me and asked me to work at the local polling place next November. I am looking forward to it.
Disgusted by the behaviors, embarrassed for the US, shocked by the audacity, forever sad that it could happen here, angry that it's not acknowledged as the terror attack that it was.
January 6th is my mother’s birthday. In the days following J6 2021 I sent a letter to my mother, father, and brother asking them to say what they perceived to have happened at the capitol that day - what was their reality? I had revised it multiple times and sought the council of wiser persons to help me rephrase my questions and statements with love and compassion, but also stating firmly that I perceived it to be an insurrection. A violent attack on our nation at the hands of neo-confederate terrorists trying to overturn the election and insert a despot. I said that even a pedestrian survey of history would be sufficient to understand that an ethno-nationalist movement such as this would result in the same way all ethno-nationalist movements do - fascism, mass casualties, even genocide. What I received from them was galling MAGA rhetoric and hatred. Mindless regurgitation of FoxNews talking points jumped off the page at me.
A few months later in March I found myself making my own plans to attend my uncle’s funeral (my dad’s middle brother) because they had excluded me from the family plans. Morning and evening of the graveside service my own brother came at me unrelenting and unapologetically preaching QANON conspiracies and MAGA bullshit. I came to realize standing in view of a distant but astonishingly clear Mt. Rainier that I was attending more than one funeral. I am still not over it.
I was, and still am, horrified by Jan. 6. I am also disappointed in and disgusted by the Republican fascists. trump has brought out the anger, hate, revenge, corruption and fascism in people. trump is a Russian asset and traitor. I'm gobsmacked that so many Americans seem to have no problem at all with any of this. The man stole highly classified documents and sides with our enemies, and this is who they want to "lead" our country? I am scared of not knowing what's going to happen in November. I take comfort in reading what other like-minded people write or say. People more articulate and educated than me. I've learned a lot. That's my short answer 😂 (A sense of humor helps tremendously)
It truly shocked me and it is still depressing to realize how many citizens actually do not believe in Democracy. Currently living in “Paradise Lost’, as I call the state of Florida; is also draining. I will do what I can and VOTE BLUE..but worry that it will not be enough. My Dad and Grandfather were The Greatest Generation and THAT is how we always thought America was…so..it is a true shock to see this happening.
The J6 attempted coup was terrible in itself. The more horrific thing is that so many members of Congress were complicit and are still in office! These people make less than $200K a year, but (example-Boebert) in just one or two terms are multimillionaires. Where is the money coming from? Winning at any cost has become the norm. J6 was just practice. I guess we should be thankful that Orange Jesus is so stupid. I fear the next attempt, better planned and executed, by someone smarter. We are in the midst of a slow-motion coup. J6 was just a trial balloon.
I wasn't surprised. Frankly I expected deeper devastation and loss.
Trump told who he was in the 70s 80s 90s and on. Especially to those of us living in New England.
This was not a shock or a culmination. January 6th was the penultimate outcome of 30 years of Unilateral hate by Conservatives against:
A. Women overall
B. Liberals
C. The New Deal
D. Abortion rights making women vilified demons
E. Weaponizing the 2nd Amendment
F. Weaponizing far right Christianity
G. Weaponizing America by the Illegitimate Iraq War
The under-educated and under-read were designed to be followers of these by the Conservative war on public education.
If alive, the Acolytes of Hate, Rush Limbaugh, Wayne Lapierre and Ralph Reed would have been at the front as bannermen.
All intellectually crafted and insidiously so, by the acolytes of William F. Buckley. They did not make spiders web. The made an intellectual trampoline that sprung Trump. Trump is just the fruit of the Conservative tree.
It is dangerously sad that Conservatives have no room in their desired vision-state for "others".
We're in a driven thermodynamic chaos. My worry is we have not seen the lowest peak.
One of my good friends is national expert in intergovernmental affairs. She is thinking we may just have to fall and then rebuild democracy.
The "hate-others" Republicans, Conservatives = MAGA won't dissipate quickly.
One important thing you left out in the first paragraph was how he attacked President Obama and his birth certificate. He was extremely outspoken about this, saying he was sending is investigators to uncover the truth that he was born in Africa, not the US. This was just part of the nasty racist crap that was circulating around social media at that time. Of course nothing came of it, but it was his strongest rallying cry to the racists at that point in time.
I watched everything unfold on 1/6/2021. There is no way to dispute what happened at the Capital. The frustration is that, here we are 3 years later, no one in our government has been held accountable for their actions leading up to that day. Our judicial system is way to slow. Those that were involved behind the scene and voted not to certify, defied subpoenas, should have been booted out within the year. Right now there is only one Congressman who is being challenged ( Scott Perry of Pennsylvania) as to whether he should be on the primary ballot.
For all of the law abiding citizens of this country watching this unfold over the last 3 yrs, anger and frustration is extreme. The fact that the ( so called polls ) show President Biden neck in neck with Trump is hideous and I for one, cannot believe those polls are true. I truly hope this year is the beginning of the end of MAGA as we know it. We must fight back like never before to preserve our country and democracy from trump and is goons.
I already knew Trump was a traitor owned by Russia, a pathological liar & malignant narcissist. What I failed to fully appreciate until 1/6/21 is that Putin now owns the entire GOP. After much research I helped uncover how NRA funneled over $400M from Russia all into Trump & GOP coffers & how RW Evangelicals like Franklin Graham also helped install Trump in 2017. That millions still support him after 1/6 just makes me work that much harder to protect our fragile democracy
I have been profoundly affected by this. My granddaughter and her mother, my son's ex, planned to attend and participate in this. I do not know if they actually attended, but my granddaughter stole my DMV paperwork when she drove me to the eye doctor because I could not see well enough to drive at the time. I was deeply hurt, and will never trust either of them again. Most of my family likes Trump, so I am extremely alone, because my feelings for him are pretty extreme anger. I think he is totally despicable. I am VERY alone now. My neighbor told me that he does not like Trump, but supports his "policies" which I find to be total nonsense! I will NEVER vote for someone that I do not respect and Trump is a LONG way from that position!
Just read through the comments and I'm experiencing a bit of PTSD reliving that day through the emotions echoing my own. As someone else noted, in some ways J6 layered onto 4 years of his presidency's shock treatment to traditional government. As a lawyer, I have a deep sacred respect for the rule of law and the attack on J6 felt personal. My Country, my Representatives, my vote, my national pride, respect, and faith in our way of life and government were attacked. The aftermath, with the exception of the J6 Committee and their amazing hearings, have been equally horrifying and unbelievable.
With my husband's death in 2016, the Republican embrace of a fascist and the Pandemic, I seem to live with a constant feeling that there no longer is any permanence to basic foundations of my life and a lot of recurrent anxiety. My faith has been a comfort, a community of people who 'understand' the truth and risk of this derangement of half the country are helpful. Substack and this forum are helpful, giving moments of sanity and offering places to express feelings like these are helpful.
As a veteran, I’m dismayed by the number of veterans that stand with Trump. I’m disgusted by the number of purported evangelical christians who support Trump despite his numerous criminal and civil charges. On January 6 I lost hope in our country being a shining beacon for humanity.
Whether it’s the elimination of a women’s right to choose, the failure to combat our failed maternal health care system, continued inequality of pay, the need to assert that Black Lives Matter, efforts to eliminate voting rights, a political system fraught with scandal and bribery, there is much work to be done. And yet Trump is focused on protecting his wealth and staying out of jail. A flawed reason to want to be president.
But the worst personal damage from Jan 6 is the fracture in my family, as my siblings have bought fully into Trump’s lies. It’s horribly sad.
I remember that day as etched in my memory like 9-11 or those my parents shared about Pearl Harbor. I have visited in the past, and I was in awe much like seeing a great museum, or church, or historical building where the times stand still yet stay in the past and present simultaneously. My heart broke that day. It took me back to my awe just walking in, touring, and watching history unfold. The fire at Notre Dame was so sad, but it was not an attack by so-called citizens, who willingly sought to destroy, kill and desecrate. My heart still hurts.
I still remember watching the TV, calling for my husband to come and yelling at the TV "stop them, why isnʻt someone stopping them?" Then the refusal of the GOP to hold him accountable and the slow progress of the DOJ and the courts has been more than discouraging. Trump and his minions stress-tested our democracy and found all the weak points. I am working on Get out the vote projects to stop him from regaining power.
As with many who comment here, January 6 has reverberated for me mostly for its revelation that so many in this country are so delusional, and so vulnerable to propagandistic lies. I'm not at all surprised that trump himself would be a sore loser--that was clear from his claims at the outset that the election in 2016 was "rigged" to deprive him of the popular vote. Nor did it surprise me that many people started buying the idea of "alternate facts" nor that the the concept of a shared reality was eroding.
But I rather assumed that once the whole "fraud" issue was thoroughly litigated, so many politicians would be USING this event, and what has been now revealed to be the plan behind it, to continue to flat out lie to whose reality has gone haywire. Is the job of a back bench representative so critical to the ego that such continued flat out lies are justified in the name of keeping that job? I don't for a minute believe that most politicians, even the Gaetzes and Jordans, actually believe the election was stolen. They simply plan on being part of the nomenklatura. None of the deluded voters have a chance at that.
I can see that the "stolen" idea would be used to enact voter suppression laws as a way of maintaining power. That's bad enough, watching the Civil Rights achievements we worked so hard for in the 60s disintegrate before our eyes. But the constant battering of the uniformed such that so many people seem to PREFER the rule of an autocrat completely bollixes me. How in the world can they feel sure that the acts of an autocrat would not affect themselves? The disappearance of the regulatory apparatus will render unsafe the drugs they need, the food they eat, the cars they drive, the banks they trust their money to, the very air they breathe--forgettabout the weather, flooding of the coasts, the response to the next pandemic, the protections of the courts. All truly "rigged" in favor of the rich who have zero care for the ordinary folk.
As someone who swore an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States I was stunned by the failure of Republican Senators by not honoring their sworn oath to do what is required by this oath. We have heard from Mitt Romney that the Republican Senators privately acknowledged they were going to violate their oath by not convicting trump trump for his action and inactions on January 6, 2021. The cowardice of the Republican Senators is now in sharp contrast to the Secretary’s’ of State of Maine and Colorado who have stated that it is their sworn oath to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution that is the sole consideration and fear is not a consideration for them. So how am I changed? It is the recognition that it is fear itself that will destroy our democracy as so many will violate their sworn oath to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution out of fear and trump knows it.
I am an adjunct professor at a local community college. I teach a survey class on American federal government. Since 2016 it’s been a difficult class to teach. After Jan 6 it’s nearly impossible. I am 73 years old. January 6 is another date to live in infamy.
So many great replies to this question—and hard reading too. Yes, I can feel how afraid so many of us are, and how close to the precipice we feel. And yet. Here we are, reading and commenting about our hope and despair—coming together on this forum and others. There are so many smart and thoughtful people on this substack and on the other great ones (love Heather…). One question has come up for me: the people who are continuing to act aggressively at various places around the nation seem to be individuals acting on their own, but I’ve begun to wonder if there are some organizers for these kinds of actions as there were on Jan 6th. Have the proud boys really “stood down” or are they continuing the efforts at a coup? Stochastic terrorism is complex—but it does generally require some momentum to get people to act.
I have felt constant stress since 2015 which quickly became hypervigilance. This year I haven't been watching TV as much, mainly because of Jim Jordan, but will have to stay glued again--SCOTUS, Jack Smith being rebuffed (the clock is ticking too fast), is Biden doing well enough, etc. etc.
Anger. Rage. Disgust. My blood boils whenever I see the footage. It was about 8 miles from my home and I used to work down there. It felt like an invasion on my home. It’s for the best that I wasn’t in charge that day. There would be more Ashli Babbitts. I’m not proud of feeling that way but it’s still my honest feeling.
Personally, one of the most disturbing aspects of the January 6th attack has been the chasm created in our society. It became even more evident to me that, as a nation, we are a people of vastly different moral values. It has changed the way I look at others. If an individual can accept someone as morally corrupt as Trump, how can they be trusted? My sensibilities lean towards equality and respect, kindness and compassion; Trump is the antithesis of my core beliefs. How do I begin to understand the fact that some of the people I know do not see him the way that I do? How can I accept and respect them knowing that their beliefs are so vastly different from my own? I don’t think that I can.
I watched the events unfold on tv and was saddened and horrified to see my fellow citizens behave this way. But we’ve always had fanatics amongst us and systems in place to keep them on the “outside.” What I lost sleep over was the aftermath, watching in utter disbelief republican after republican vote against certifying the election. I really, truly was shocked and that was just the appetizer to watching republicans speak out against his impeachment and then acquit him in the Senate. As disheartening as it is to know these people serve in the US government, I guess I needed the wake-up call that yes, things ARE as bad as they appear.
I object to the question (just kidding -- all your questions are brilliant). That said, . . . (1) Jan 6 was horrible. But it was a symptom. Attack on capitol by thousands of people including Yale graduates who apparently didn't hear the "go in peace" part. (2) It was a symptom of the Republican party pursuing Hunter / former drug addict for contempt for non-compliance with a subpoena, which Congress-urchins disregard, with contempt! (3) It's fomenting an attack on America due to its complex immigration problem but PROMOTING the problem by telling the world "THE BORDERS ARE OPEN. COME ON IN!" The alleged "speaker / seditionist" does a photo op on the Mexican border to tell Mexican (and other immigrants) THE BORDER, SHE IS OPEN! It's like telling Menendez there's GOLD in them thar mid-east countries and there for the taking. . . . Really, if Menendez is guilty of violating laws and promoting foreign enemies for letting them know he's open for business, shouldn't the Republican Caucus be held to account for promoting immigration by advertising "open borders?" And, by the way, not funding immigration properly. . . . So yes, J 6 was horrible. But the horror IMHO is that it was not an isolated event. It was a symptom of anti-Americanism, anti-Democratic views, pro-authoritarian views, and anti-truth. Listen to the followers call C-Span. Lots of accusations. Please, just once, ask a caller to provide a fact. Maybe have a line for callers who hurl epithets and a line for people grounded in reality. J 6 was a symptom of metastatic anti-democratic etc., etc., etc. If a patient's face is jaundiced, chances are, the stuff below (gall bladder, pancreas, etc) ain't doin so well either. IMHO
How has it affected me? It forced me to take a hard look at what law and justice are in this country. I have watched how the powerful, corrupt, criminals manipulate it. They are winning, folks, despite all the efforts against them.
It's demoralizing to realize if they have enough money and power, they can play the system and use spurious delays, lies, intense public disinformation, corrupt media and a compromised court system to string us along, waiting for justice.
It's not coming.
If by now, after all the obvious evidence clearly shows, the perpetrators are not only not paying the legal price for their crimes, but are continuing their loathsome sabotage of our democracy, what fool would believe they're stoppable?
I'm convinced we're watching a sick theater. Behind the scenes, they carry on with their crimes while America waits for them to be held accountable.
I'm done. I hold no hope. My only wish is that we will eventually come to our senses and backpedal. But it could be too late.
It was one of the most upsetting moments of my life. It’s the gift that keeps on giving-anger, disappointment, sadness. It seems to be never ending. I keep hoping that somehow Trump will stop all of this madness, but it appears unlikely. I guess I’m astounded that so many people believe his lies, including lots of people I know. I am truly depressed and disheartened, but I hope to be around when he finally loses!
After reading your commentary and pepper perspectives and Timothy Snyder and Robert reich today, it has occurred to me that maybe it should be law that in order to run for any elected position you must first agree to concede if you lose. Trump will never agree to this. He’s such a liar but he will never state that he will concede if lost. He has never once said that.
Today, my heart is heavy, but my resolve is unbreakable. Witnessing the invasion of our hallowed Capitol by insurrectionists has ignited a fire within me. This is not just an attack on a building; it’s an assault on the very soul of our nation.
But let me be clear: I am not deterred. I am not defeated. This is my country, a land built on the principles of freedom and democracy, and I refuse to see it tarnished by those who seek to undermine it.
So here is my vow: With every breath in my body, with every ounce of strength I possess, I will fight to ensure that these perpetrators and their ideologies find no victory, no solace, no quarter in the upcoming 2024 elections.
I will work tirelessly, I will raise my voice, I will cast my vote, and I will stand shoulder to shoulder with all who believe in the true spirit of this great nation. We will let freedom ring louder than ever before, echoing in the halls of our Capitol, resounding in the hearts of all true patriots.
We are more than the actions of a few misguided individuals. We are a nation of resilience, of integrity, of unwavering commitment to liberty and justice for all. This is our country, and we will do everything in our power to uphold its honor and its ideals.
Together, we stand united, unyielding, and utterly determined. Our resolve is our weapon, our unity is our shield, and our love for this country is our guiding light. Let us move forward, undaunted, as we write the next chapter in the story of our great nation.
Freedom will ring, and it will ring through us all.
The saddest part for me has been the fact that my son and his entire family on his wife's side are still believing the lies. I truly understand now how an entire country becomes part of an ill begotten movement... Republicans are repeating the history of Nazi Germany and most don't even realize the parallels.
When Jan 6 happened, I was still trying to get over the fact that millions and millions of people voted for Trump. For me Jan 6 cemented the fact that I can never stop working to defend democracy. I used to just take it for granted and cast my vote. Voting is crucial but it is not the only way we should be defending democracy. Getting out the vote, volunteering for campaigns, phone banking, etc, are all important. I have come to realize that the discomfort I feel making phone calls etc is nothing compared to the pain I will feel if Trump wins and we lose our Democracy. LFG!
Three incidents that imperiled our country during my lifetime loom large in my consciousness -- the corruption and turmoil of Watergate, the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01, and the violent mob of Trump insurgents storming the Capitol on 1/6. By far, the most unsettling to me is J6.
As a previous respondent so articulately wrote, my sense of American exceptionalism was shattered by the events of J6. Our country persisted that day only through the valiant efforts of a razor-thin blue line of Capitol police. The images of them fighting for their lives inside and outside the Capitol are horrifying - as is the knowledge it was fomented by a criminal, draft-dodging election-loser who brands himself as a "patriot," "police supporter" and champion of the common man.
The Civil War that the far-right clamors for is already underway, as every day the Trump army assails truth, decency and our democratic institutions. At least during Nixon's final days, there were enough R's in Congress with the ethos and courage to draw a line in the sand, uphold their oath and take Nixon and his plumbers to account.
No more. The party is a malignancy bent on protecting Trump at whatever cost and obstructing any D-supported policies while frittering away taxpayer dollars on frivolous impeachments and criminal investigations. Meanwhile, the embattled D's are struggling to promote their achievements and convince a skeptical, gaslit electorate they are a better alternative.
Although many of the J6 rioters have been tried, fined and jailed, we have yet to see whether the principal chaos agent will experience any consequences - or if he will slip the noose once again through legal maneuvers and the support of his appointees. It's infuriating and exhausting as these proceedings grind on. That he remains the R frontrunner is mind-boggling.
Will democracy survive the next November election? Is the looming threat of living under a dictatorship enough to shake from their apathy those who don't bother to vote?
I'm a progressive living in a deep-red rural county who's been blocked on social media and roundly criticized online and face to face by family and others who embrace the Big Lie. I waver between feeling compelled to speak out and fear of becoming a target if I do.
One liberal friend and her family have given up and emigrated from Florida to Portugal because of the looming threat of autocracy. However, I firmly believe we are engaged in a battle for this country, and it's our duty to resist those who aim to forcibly take it from us.
I’ve been interested in American History and politics since I got my first history book in 4th grade. I’m 70 and lived through the 60’s and 70’s but until January 6 I never doubted democracy would prevail. The lack of republicans speaking up made me realize our country is a country because of an agreement called the Constitution. If we don’t agree on basic ideas, it’s gone.
I had broken my hip and was in rehab on J6. I was glued to the television screen for days watching in disbelief as the so-called patriots, with the control of toddlers but with the devious strength of adults, beat up LEOs, called menacingly for Rep Pelosi and VP Pence, and trashed our capitol. That stupid lump who incited it sat, no doubt gleefully at first, and did nothing but watch it on television.
I had my one, and only, panic attack the night the 2016 election was called for tfg. I think Secretary Clinton would have made a great president. President Biden was not my first choice, but I voted for him and will again. He and VP Harris have done a wonderful job under horrible circumstances. I’m very glad they were elected.
It ranks with me as one of the most memorable event in life. Indeed, I remember what I was doing at the exact time it occurred. Just like the JFK assassination. It brought home the perils of our fragile democracy and what lengths folks will go through to get their way when they fail through democratic and judicial means. We must learn from it and ensure that no other leader is allowed to do this again.
The Jan 6 insurrection affected me very much. All my life I believed that we had ways of keeping our enemies from bombing our buildings, and then 911 happened. All my life I believed that my fellow citizens of the United States of America believed in and TREASURED our Freedom, our way of governing, that our votes mattered and once the election was over, like the results or not, the election was over. I BELIEVED that if the American people elected a President, it would be because that person had DEMONSTRATED him or herself to be of good CHARACTER and have INTELLIGENCE, to understand the CONSTITUTION. I know, caps are yelling, but I am exasperated and my beliefs about how people could vote for a charleton, a vulgar man whose best claim to fame was multi-bankruptcies. I AM YELLING. Will somebody find something in our Constitution that will stop this mad Hitleresque man from destroying what's left of the United States of America?!
It didn't affect me insofar as being a pollworker was concerned, because I already was one.
The main way I was affected by 1/6, and the COWARDICE of the Republican Party in refusing to find Trump guilty in a Senate Trial, after what he did? I just lost any respect I ever had for Republicans, and came to the conclusion there are no "good Republicans" left. Even the few who voted to convict are so badly compromised in other ways (I haven't forgotten what kind of President candidate Mitt Romney was!) that I couldn't conceive of ever voting Republican again.
So, WTG, Donald Trump and the MAGAt Party! You ever need something from me? You won't get it, ever—and I will do everything I can to crush your ambitions.
January 6 shocked me. I knew that Trump's followers were committed, but I didn't know they would go so far as trying to overthrow the government. I probably should have known. Journalists like David Niewert (In God's Country) have chronicled the thinking and actions of Christian Nationalist and White Supremacy groups, and they were involved. What is difficult is knowing how much that thinking has spread since the publication of Niewart's book and modern actions like the Bundy BLM takeover in my state, as well as the insurrection. It is important to remember that January 6 wasn't an isolated event.
How it has affected me? I've always been a committed voter, but now I am reading more and sharing the work of people I think are smart and insightful. I'm voting in every election, and I spend a lot of time talking with friends and family members about politics. I'm also afraid. I see the lets go brandon stickers and the 2A solution stickers, and I am glad I don't have political stickers on my car. People are getting killed.
It has absolutely changed my perception of fellow Americans. Prior to the attack and even immediately afterwards I believed that the MAGA deluded were salvageable-- that they would come to see the truth and realize and admit that they had been duped by conmen. Now it’s clear to me that they are hopelessly lost. They will never return to us and all we can hope is to reduce the number of new ones we permit to be co-opted going forward. As an older American I thought our democracy was sacred to us all-- now I know better.
Thinking back on that day, it's clear Trump set things up to let the mob attack the Capitol. He installed a crony as Defense Secretary so the military wouldn't respond. Same with the DC National Guard. I don't understand why the DC Police didn't keep the mob from storming the Capitol. As to the long term effect, it's make me even more supportive of holding him accountable. It's also motivating me even more to help Biden win another term. There's still more work for him to do.
Given that my thoughts on J6 have still not completely, may never, crystallize, I will share a few of the things running through my mind.
The noises made by some Republican legislators had already caused deep apprehension about the course events might take. There was also an overwhelming sense of sadness. Although I've been politically active for years, I've never been much of a party loyalist. In the past, I had aligned with different parties on different issues. I had always believed in the necessity of the loyal opposition for practically all issues. J6 was, to me, the death rattle of the Republican Party. I felt a muddled sense of anger and sadness at the demise of the two party system and deep disillusionment that so much of the American public could be taken in by the traitors who fomented and enabled this insurrection.
Toward the media, I felt nothing but unmitigated anger and a sense of betrayal. Shimon Peres once said, "Television has made dictatorship impossible and democracy unbearable." I had always taken that as a source of comfort when I was unhappy with current political trends. The reporting on J6, the events rhetoric leading up to it, and its aftermath, not only on Fox and Newsmax, but on some mainstream channels made me doubt the security I had felt in that thought.
While I intend to do everything I can to get past this immediate challenge, I'm realistic enough to understand that at age 77, I'm unlikely to live long enough to see complete healing of the societal scars left from the wounds inflicted by Trump, his acolytes and the Republican Party. That makes me sad.
The most disturbing aspect of the DJT phenomenon - including his televised incitement to violent insurrection - is the widespread abandonment of practical reasoning about facts. Evidence either supports what a politician says or not. When did Americans forget how to think? I fear for the future. These irresponsible Trumpists have set such an atrocious example for America’s young, what will they do?
The citizens of Harlem, B'klyn, Bronx & Queens learned Exactly, what /who drumpft is, when he came across the Wueensboro Bridge.
We saw how he was treating the immigrants, he brought in to build his tower on 5 th Ave.
We knew he was putting it there bcz the " old $$$ of NYC" deemed him "persona non grata". He truly showed his kister with that full page ad & his vicious lies; Black ppl, as a whole, don't run toward trouble & BS.
The Maga vultures have always been just that, VULTURES,; he just gave them permission to be free about their REAL selves .
BTW, since Antifa & BLM started the 1/6/20 " revolt", why is he gonna pardon them & why did margarine & the gop h. r.s go to the jailhouse, so concerned about them? The Jan. 6 Choir seems like a modern minstrel act;🙄, the opening song at his rallies.
This may read as harsh, but this is simply NYC plain speech... You can't say it Michael, but We do.
Keep telling your truth... Just get a bit less " polite" 💯
Spence captured my thoughts. I feel betrayed by every Senator, representative, Governor and AG that voted against impeachment. We must vote them out 🇺🇸💙🇺🇸✍️
Honestly, I don’t know if the attack itself affected me as much as the widespread collaboration of the GOP political leadership in the multi-pronged plot to overturn the election, followed by the near universal Chamberlinian capitulation to the Trumpist post 1.6 whitewashing and gaslighting.
Watching irrefutable evidence that our national conservative party had been swallowed whole by far right nativist authoritarianism was a deep shock to my understanding of our national character. I hadn’t realized until then how much I had internalized my own version of American exceptionalism and the disillusionment was and remains profound.
I don’t know how any American could not be affected by the January 6 insurrection. When I see photos or videos from that day, I’m still shocked, disgusted, and in disbelief.
My local precinct committee chair person has reached out to me and asked me to work at the local polling place next November. I am looking forward to it.
Disgusted by the behaviors, embarrassed for the US, shocked by the audacity, forever sad that it could happen here, angry that it's not acknowledged as the terror attack that it was.
January 6th is my mother’s birthday. In the days following J6 2021 I sent a letter to my mother, father, and brother asking them to say what they perceived to have happened at the capitol that day - what was their reality? I had revised it multiple times and sought the council of wiser persons to help me rephrase my questions and statements with love and compassion, but also stating firmly that I perceived it to be an insurrection. A violent attack on our nation at the hands of neo-confederate terrorists trying to overturn the election and insert a despot. I said that even a pedestrian survey of history would be sufficient to understand that an ethno-nationalist movement such as this would result in the same way all ethno-nationalist movements do - fascism, mass casualties, even genocide. What I received from them was galling MAGA rhetoric and hatred. Mindless regurgitation of FoxNews talking points jumped off the page at me.
A few months later in March I found myself making my own plans to attend my uncle’s funeral (my dad’s middle brother) because they had excluded me from the family plans. Morning and evening of the graveside service my own brother came at me unrelenting and unapologetically preaching QANON conspiracies and MAGA bullshit. I came to realize standing in view of a distant but astonishingly clear Mt. Rainier that I was attending more than one funeral. I am still not over it.
Happy birthday, mom. 🎉🥳
I was, and still am, horrified by Jan. 6. I am also disappointed in and disgusted by the Republican fascists. trump has brought out the anger, hate, revenge, corruption and fascism in people. trump is a Russian asset and traitor. I'm gobsmacked that so many Americans seem to have no problem at all with any of this. The man stole highly classified documents and sides with our enemies, and this is who they want to "lead" our country? I am scared of not knowing what's going to happen in November. I take comfort in reading what other like-minded people write or say. People more articulate and educated than me. I've learned a lot. That's my short answer 😂 (A sense of humor helps tremendously)
It truly shocked me and it is still depressing to realize how many citizens actually do not believe in Democracy. Currently living in “Paradise Lost’, as I call the state of Florida; is also draining. I will do what I can and VOTE BLUE..but worry that it will not be enough. My Dad and Grandfather were The Greatest Generation and THAT is how we always thought America was…so..it is a true shock to see this happening.
The J6 attempted coup was terrible in itself. The more horrific thing is that so many members of Congress were complicit and are still in office! These people make less than $200K a year, but (example-Boebert) in just one or two terms are multimillionaires. Where is the money coming from? Winning at any cost has become the norm. J6 was just practice. I guess we should be thankful that Orange Jesus is so stupid. I fear the next attempt, better planned and executed, by someone smarter. We are in the midst of a slow-motion coup. J6 was just a trial balloon.
I wasn't surprised. Frankly I expected deeper devastation and loss.
Trump told who he was in the 70s 80s 90s and on. Especially to those of us living in New England.
This was not a shock or a culmination. January 6th was the penultimate outcome of 30 years of Unilateral hate by Conservatives against:
A. Women overall
B. Liberals
C. The New Deal
D. Abortion rights making women vilified demons
E. Weaponizing the 2nd Amendment
F. Weaponizing far right Christianity
G. Weaponizing America by the Illegitimate Iraq War
The under-educated and under-read were designed to be followers of these by the Conservative war on public education.
If alive, the Acolytes of Hate, Rush Limbaugh, Wayne Lapierre and Ralph Reed would have been at the front as bannermen.
All intellectually crafted and insidiously so, by the acolytes of William F. Buckley. They did not make spiders web. The made an intellectual trampoline that sprung Trump. Trump is just the fruit of the Conservative tree.
It is dangerously sad that Conservatives have no room in their desired vision-state for "others".
We're in a driven thermodynamic chaos. My worry is we have not seen the lowest peak.
One of my good friends is national expert in intergovernmental affairs. She is thinking we may just have to fall and then rebuild democracy.
The "hate-others" Republicans, Conservatives = MAGA won't dissipate quickly.
Good morning!
One important thing you left out in the first paragraph was how he attacked President Obama and his birth certificate. He was extremely outspoken about this, saying he was sending is investigators to uncover the truth that he was born in Africa, not the US. This was just part of the nasty racist crap that was circulating around social media at that time. Of course nothing came of it, but it was his strongest rallying cry to the racists at that point in time.
I watched everything unfold on 1/6/2021. There is no way to dispute what happened at the Capital. The frustration is that, here we are 3 years later, no one in our government has been held accountable for their actions leading up to that day. Our judicial system is way to slow. Those that were involved behind the scene and voted not to certify, defied subpoenas, should have been booted out within the year. Right now there is only one Congressman who is being challenged ( Scott Perry of Pennsylvania) as to whether he should be on the primary ballot.
For all of the law abiding citizens of this country watching this unfold over the last 3 yrs, anger and frustration is extreme. The fact that the ( so called polls ) show President Biden neck in neck with Trump is hideous and I for one, cannot believe those polls are true. I truly hope this year is the beginning of the end of MAGA as we know it. We must fight back like never before to preserve our country and democracy from trump and is goons.
Seeing adults rampantly acting like crazed juveniles that had been given permission to act badly was extremely repulsive and frightening.
I already knew Trump was a traitor owned by Russia, a pathological liar & malignant narcissist. What I failed to fully appreciate until 1/6/21 is that Putin now owns the entire GOP. After much research I helped uncover how NRA funneled over $400M from Russia all into Trump & GOP coffers & how RW Evangelicals like Franklin Graham also helped install Trump in 2017. That millions still support him after 1/6 just makes me work that much harder to protect our fragile democracy
I have been profoundly affected by this. My granddaughter and her mother, my son's ex, planned to attend and participate in this. I do not know if they actually attended, but my granddaughter stole my DMV paperwork when she drove me to the eye doctor because I could not see well enough to drive at the time. I was deeply hurt, and will never trust either of them again. Most of my family likes Trump, so I am extremely alone, because my feelings for him are pretty extreme anger. I think he is totally despicable. I am VERY alone now. My neighbor told me that he does not like Trump, but supports his "policies" which I find to be total nonsense! I will NEVER vote for someone that I do not respect and Trump is a LONG way from that position!
Just read through the comments and I'm experiencing a bit of PTSD reliving that day through the emotions echoing my own. As someone else noted, in some ways J6 layered onto 4 years of his presidency's shock treatment to traditional government. As a lawyer, I have a deep sacred respect for the rule of law and the attack on J6 felt personal. My Country, my Representatives, my vote, my national pride, respect, and faith in our way of life and government were attacked. The aftermath, with the exception of the J6 Committee and their amazing hearings, have been equally horrifying and unbelievable.
With my husband's death in 2016, the Republican embrace of a fascist and the Pandemic, I seem to live with a constant feeling that there no longer is any permanence to basic foundations of my life and a lot of recurrent anxiety. My faith has been a comfort, a community of people who 'understand' the truth and risk of this derangement of half the country are helpful. Substack and this forum are helpful, giving moments of sanity and offering places to express feelings like these are helpful.
As a veteran, I’m dismayed by the number of veterans that stand with Trump. I’m disgusted by the number of purported evangelical christians who support Trump despite his numerous criminal and civil charges. On January 6 I lost hope in our country being a shining beacon for humanity.
Whether it’s the elimination of a women’s right to choose, the failure to combat our failed maternal health care system, continued inequality of pay, the need to assert that Black Lives Matter, efforts to eliminate voting rights, a political system fraught with scandal and bribery, there is much work to be done. And yet Trump is focused on protecting his wealth and staying out of jail. A flawed reason to want to be president.
But the worst personal damage from Jan 6 is the fracture in my family, as my siblings have bought fully into Trump’s lies. It’s horribly sad.
I remember that day as etched in my memory like 9-11 or those my parents shared about Pearl Harbor. I have visited in the past, and I was in awe much like seeing a great museum, or church, or historical building where the times stand still yet stay in the past and present simultaneously. My heart broke that day. It took me back to my awe just walking in, touring, and watching history unfold. The fire at Notre Dame was so sad, but it was not an attack by so-called citizens, who willingly sought to destroy, kill and desecrate. My heart still hurts.
I still remember watching the TV, calling for my husband to come and yelling at the TV "stop them, why isnʻt someone stopping them?" Then the refusal of the GOP to hold him accountable and the slow progress of the DOJ and the courts has been more than discouraging. Trump and his minions stress-tested our democracy and found all the weak points. I am working on Get out the vote projects to stop him from regaining power.
As with many who comment here, January 6 has reverberated for me mostly for its revelation that so many in this country are so delusional, and so vulnerable to propagandistic lies. I'm not at all surprised that trump himself would be a sore loser--that was clear from his claims at the outset that the election in 2016 was "rigged" to deprive him of the popular vote. Nor did it surprise me that many people started buying the idea of "alternate facts" nor that the the concept of a shared reality was eroding.
But I rather assumed that once the whole "fraud" issue was thoroughly litigated, so many politicians would be USING this event, and what has been now revealed to be the plan behind it, to continue to flat out lie to whose reality has gone haywire. Is the job of a back bench representative so critical to the ego that such continued flat out lies are justified in the name of keeping that job? I don't for a minute believe that most politicians, even the Gaetzes and Jordans, actually believe the election was stolen. They simply plan on being part of the nomenklatura. None of the deluded voters have a chance at that.
I can see that the "stolen" idea would be used to enact voter suppression laws as a way of maintaining power. That's bad enough, watching the Civil Rights achievements we worked so hard for in the 60s disintegrate before our eyes. But the constant battering of the uniformed such that so many people seem to PREFER the rule of an autocrat completely bollixes me. How in the world can they feel sure that the acts of an autocrat would not affect themselves? The disappearance of the regulatory apparatus will render unsafe the drugs they need, the food they eat, the cars they drive, the banks they trust their money to, the very air they breathe--forgettabout the weather, flooding of the coasts, the response to the next pandemic, the protections of the courts. All truly "rigged" in favor of the rich who have zero care for the ordinary folk.
As someone who swore an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States I was stunned by the failure of Republican Senators by not honoring their sworn oath to do what is required by this oath. We have heard from Mitt Romney that the Republican Senators privately acknowledged they were going to violate their oath by not convicting trump trump for his action and inactions on January 6, 2021. The cowardice of the Republican Senators is now in sharp contrast to the Secretary’s’ of State of Maine and Colorado who have stated that it is their sworn oath to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution that is the sole consideration and fear is not a consideration for them. So how am I changed? It is the recognition that it is fear itself that will destroy our democracy as so many will violate their sworn oath to preserve, protect and defend our Constitution out of fear and trump knows it.
Steven …Ty for somberly addressing the terrorists from within attacking the Capital
I’m still sickened that we are at the edge of losing our freedoms VOTE BLUE to save
Democracy…😢Marsha… bless you
I am an adjunct professor at a local community college. I teach a survey class on American federal government. Since 2016 it’s been a difficult class to teach. After Jan 6 it’s nearly impossible. I am 73 years old. January 6 is another date to live in infamy.
So many great replies to this question—and hard reading too. Yes, I can feel how afraid so many of us are, and how close to the precipice we feel. And yet. Here we are, reading and commenting about our hope and despair—coming together on this forum and others. There are so many smart and thoughtful people on this substack and on the other great ones (love Heather…). One question has come up for me: the people who are continuing to act aggressively at various places around the nation seem to be individuals acting on their own, but I’ve begun to wonder if there are some organizers for these kinds of actions as there were on Jan 6th. Have the proud boys really “stood down” or are they continuing the efforts at a coup? Stochastic terrorism is complex—but it does generally require some momentum to get people to act.
I have felt constant stress since 2015 which quickly became hypervigilance. This year I haven't been watching TV as much, mainly because of Jim Jordan, but will have to stay glued again--SCOTUS, Jack Smith being rebuffed (the clock is ticking too fast), is Biden doing well enough, etc. etc.
Anger. Rage. Disgust. My blood boils whenever I see the footage. It was about 8 miles from my home and I used to work down there. It felt like an invasion on my home. It’s for the best that I wasn’t in charge that day. There would be more Ashli Babbitts. I’m not proud of feeling that way but it’s still my honest feeling.
Personally, one of the most disturbing aspects of the January 6th attack has been the chasm created in our society. It became even more evident to me that, as a nation, we are a people of vastly different moral values. It has changed the way I look at others. If an individual can accept someone as morally corrupt as Trump, how can they be trusted? My sensibilities lean towards equality and respect, kindness and compassion; Trump is the antithesis of my core beliefs. How do I begin to understand the fact that some of the people I know do not see him the way that I do? How can I accept and respect them knowing that their beliefs are so vastly different from my own? I don’t think that I can.
I watched the events unfold on tv and was saddened and horrified to see my fellow citizens behave this way. But we’ve always had fanatics amongst us and systems in place to keep them on the “outside.” What I lost sleep over was the aftermath, watching in utter disbelief republican after republican vote against certifying the election. I really, truly was shocked and that was just the appetizer to watching republicans speak out against his impeachment and then acquit him in the Senate. As disheartening as it is to know these people serve in the US government, I guess I needed the wake-up call that yes, things ARE as bad as they appear.
I object to the question (just kidding -- all your questions are brilliant). That said, . . . (1) Jan 6 was horrible. But it was a symptom. Attack on capitol by thousands of people including Yale graduates who apparently didn't hear the "go in peace" part. (2) It was a symptom of the Republican party pursuing Hunter / former drug addict for contempt for non-compliance with a subpoena, which Congress-urchins disregard, with contempt! (3) It's fomenting an attack on America due to its complex immigration problem but PROMOTING the problem by telling the world "THE BORDERS ARE OPEN. COME ON IN!" The alleged "speaker / seditionist" does a photo op on the Mexican border to tell Mexican (and other immigrants) THE BORDER, SHE IS OPEN! It's like telling Menendez there's GOLD in them thar mid-east countries and there for the taking. . . . Really, if Menendez is guilty of violating laws and promoting foreign enemies for letting them know he's open for business, shouldn't the Republican Caucus be held to account for promoting immigration by advertising "open borders?" And, by the way, not funding immigration properly. . . . So yes, J 6 was horrible. But the horror IMHO is that it was not an isolated event. It was a symptom of anti-Americanism, anti-Democratic views, pro-authoritarian views, and anti-truth. Listen to the followers call C-Span. Lots of accusations. Please, just once, ask a caller to provide a fact. Maybe have a line for callers who hurl epithets and a line for people grounded in reality. J 6 was a symptom of metastatic anti-democratic etc., etc., etc. If a patient's face is jaundiced, chances are, the stuff below (gall bladder, pancreas, etc) ain't doin so well either. IMHO
How has it affected me? It forced me to take a hard look at what law and justice are in this country. I have watched how the powerful, corrupt, criminals manipulate it. They are winning, folks, despite all the efforts against them.
It's demoralizing to realize if they have enough money and power, they can play the system and use spurious delays, lies, intense public disinformation, corrupt media and a compromised court system to string us along, waiting for justice.
It's not coming.
If by now, after all the obvious evidence clearly shows, the perpetrators are not only not paying the legal price for their crimes, but are continuing their loathsome sabotage of our democracy, what fool would believe they're stoppable?
I'm convinced we're watching a sick theater. Behind the scenes, they carry on with their crimes while America waits for them to be held accountable.
I'm done. I hold no hope. My only wish is that we will eventually come to our senses and backpedal. But it could be too late.
It was one of the most upsetting moments of my life. It’s the gift that keeps on giving-anger, disappointment, sadness. It seems to be never ending. I keep hoping that somehow Trump will stop all of this madness, but it appears unlikely. I guess I’m astounded that so many people believe his lies, including lots of people I know. I am truly depressed and disheartened, but I hope to be around when he finally loses!
After reading your commentary and pepper perspectives and Timothy Snyder and Robert reich today, it has occurred to me that maybe it should be law that in order to run for any elected position you must first agree to concede if you lose. Trump will never agree to this. He’s such a liar but he will never state that he will concede if lost. He has never once said that.
For me, it *COMPLETELY* ruined my wedding anniversary.
I know what I saw on the TV screen 3 years ago!
I know the terrible & horrific things that happened at our Capitol Building on January 6th 2021!
I watched it all unfold from beginning to end on that fateful day!
I stood in terror with tears in my eyes as I witnessed the crime scene that was the Capitol.
NO MATTER WHAT… I KNOW THE TRUTH!
FOX News & other so-called news outlets, can try to spin the events of that terrible day.
BUT I KNOW THE TRUTH!
I know how close we came to losing our country & our democracy!
January 6th 2021 is a day that will go down in Infamy & should never be forgotten!
December 7th 1941
September 11th 2001
These dates are remembered for the EVIL events that took place on them!
We can NEVER LET THEM HAPPEN AGAIN!
NEVER FORGET!
Today, my heart is heavy, but my resolve is unbreakable. Witnessing the invasion of our hallowed Capitol by insurrectionists has ignited a fire within me. This is not just an attack on a building; it’s an assault on the very soul of our nation.
But let me be clear: I am not deterred. I am not defeated. This is my country, a land built on the principles of freedom and democracy, and I refuse to see it tarnished by those who seek to undermine it.
So here is my vow: With every breath in my body, with every ounce of strength I possess, I will fight to ensure that these perpetrators and their ideologies find no victory, no solace, no quarter in the upcoming 2024 elections.
I will work tirelessly, I will raise my voice, I will cast my vote, and I will stand shoulder to shoulder with all who believe in the true spirit of this great nation. We will let freedom ring louder than ever before, echoing in the halls of our Capitol, resounding in the hearts of all true patriots.
We are more than the actions of a few misguided individuals. We are a nation of resilience, of integrity, of unwavering commitment to liberty and justice for all. This is our country, and we will do everything in our power to uphold its honor and its ideals.
Together, we stand united, unyielding, and utterly determined. Our resolve is our weapon, our unity is our shield, and our love for this country is our guiding light. Let us move forward, undaunted, as we write the next chapter in the story of our great nation.
Freedom will ring, and it will ring through us all.
The saddest part for me has been the fact that my son and his entire family on his wife's side are still believing the lies. I truly understand now how an entire country becomes part of an ill begotten movement... Republicans are repeating the history of Nazi Germany and most don't even realize the parallels.
When Jan 6 happened, I was still trying to get over the fact that millions and millions of people voted for Trump. For me Jan 6 cemented the fact that I can never stop working to defend democracy. I used to just take it for granted and cast my vote. Voting is crucial but it is not the only way we should be defending democracy. Getting out the vote, volunteering for campaigns, phone banking, etc, are all important. I have come to realize that the discomfort I feel making phone calls etc is nothing compared to the pain I will feel if Trump wins and we lose our Democracy. LFG!
Three incidents that imperiled our country during my lifetime loom large in my consciousness -- the corruption and turmoil of Watergate, the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01, and the violent mob of Trump insurgents storming the Capitol on 1/6. By far, the most unsettling to me is J6.
As a previous respondent so articulately wrote, my sense of American exceptionalism was shattered by the events of J6. Our country persisted that day only through the valiant efforts of a razor-thin blue line of Capitol police. The images of them fighting for their lives inside and outside the Capitol are horrifying - as is the knowledge it was fomented by a criminal, draft-dodging election-loser who brands himself as a "patriot," "police supporter" and champion of the common man.
The Civil War that the far-right clamors for is already underway, as every day the Trump army assails truth, decency and our democratic institutions. At least during Nixon's final days, there were enough R's in Congress with the ethos and courage to draw a line in the sand, uphold their oath and take Nixon and his plumbers to account.
No more. The party is a malignancy bent on protecting Trump at whatever cost and obstructing any D-supported policies while frittering away taxpayer dollars on frivolous impeachments and criminal investigations. Meanwhile, the embattled D's are struggling to promote their achievements and convince a skeptical, gaslit electorate they are a better alternative.
Although many of the J6 rioters have been tried, fined and jailed, we have yet to see whether the principal chaos agent will experience any consequences - or if he will slip the noose once again through legal maneuvers and the support of his appointees. It's infuriating and exhausting as these proceedings grind on. That he remains the R frontrunner is mind-boggling.
Will democracy survive the next November election? Is the looming threat of living under a dictatorship enough to shake from their apathy those who don't bother to vote?
I'm a progressive living in a deep-red rural county who's been blocked on social media and roundly criticized online and face to face by family and others who embrace the Big Lie. I waver between feeling compelled to speak out and fear of becoming a target if I do.
One liberal friend and her family have given up and emigrated from Florida to Portugal because of the looming threat of autocracy. However, I firmly believe we are engaged in a battle for this country, and it's our duty to resist those who aim to forcibly take it from us.
I’ve been interested in American History and politics since I got my first history book in 4th grade. I’m 70 and lived through the 60’s and 70’s but until January 6 I never doubted democracy would prevail. The lack of republicans speaking up made me realize our country is a country because of an agreement called the Constitution. If we don’t agree on basic ideas, it’s gone.
I had broken my hip and was in rehab on J6. I was glued to the television screen for days watching in disbelief as the so-called patriots, with the control of toddlers but with the devious strength of adults, beat up LEOs, called menacingly for Rep Pelosi and VP Pence, and trashed our capitol. That stupid lump who incited it sat, no doubt gleefully at first, and did nothing but watch it on television.
I had my one, and only, panic attack the night the 2016 election was called for tfg. I think Secretary Clinton would have made a great president. President Biden was not my first choice, but I voted for him and will again. He and VP Harris have done a wonderful job under horrible circumstances. I’m very glad they were elected.
It ranks with me as one of the most memorable event in life. Indeed, I remember what I was doing at the exact time it occurred. Just like the JFK assassination. It brought home the perils of our fragile democracy and what lengths folks will go through to get their way when they fail through democratic and judicial means. We must learn from it and ensure that no other leader is allowed to do this again.
The Jan 6 insurrection affected me very much. All my life I believed that we had ways of keeping our enemies from bombing our buildings, and then 911 happened. All my life I believed that my fellow citizens of the United States of America believed in and TREASURED our Freedom, our way of governing, that our votes mattered and once the election was over, like the results or not, the election was over. I BELIEVED that if the American people elected a President, it would be because that person had DEMONSTRATED him or herself to be of good CHARACTER and have INTELLIGENCE, to understand the CONSTITUTION. I know, caps are yelling, but I am exasperated and my beliefs about how people could vote for a charleton, a vulgar man whose best claim to fame was multi-bankruptcies. I AM YELLING. Will somebody find something in our Constitution that will stop this mad Hitleresque man from destroying what's left of the United States of America?!
It didn't affect me insofar as being a pollworker was concerned, because I already was one.
The main way I was affected by 1/6, and the COWARDICE of the Republican Party in refusing to find Trump guilty in a Senate Trial, after what he did? I just lost any respect I ever had for Republicans, and came to the conclusion there are no "good Republicans" left. Even the few who voted to convict are so badly compromised in other ways (I haven't forgotten what kind of President candidate Mitt Romney was!) that I couldn't conceive of ever voting Republican again.
So, WTG, Donald Trump and the MAGAt Party! You ever need something from me? You won't get it, ever—and I will do everything I can to crush your ambitions.
Hi Steven,
January 6 shocked me. I knew that Trump's followers were committed, but I didn't know they would go so far as trying to overthrow the government. I probably should have known. Journalists like David Niewert (In God's Country) have chronicled the thinking and actions of Christian Nationalist and White Supremacy groups, and they were involved. What is difficult is knowing how much that thinking has spread since the publication of Niewart's book and modern actions like the Bundy BLM takeover in my state, as well as the insurrection. It is important to remember that January 6 wasn't an isolated event.
How it has affected me? I've always been a committed voter, but now I am reading more and sharing the work of people I think are smart and insightful. I'm voting in every election, and I spend a lot of time talking with friends and family members about politics. I'm also afraid. I see the lets go brandon stickers and the 2A solution stickers, and I am glad I don't have political stickers on my car. People are getting killed.
It has absolutely changed my perception of fellow Americans. Prior to the attack and even immediately afterwards I believed that the MAGA deluded were salvageable-- that they would come to see the truth and realize and admit that they had been duped by conmen. Now it’s clear to me that they are hopelessly lost. They will never return to us and all we can hope is to reduce the number of new ones we permit to be co-opted going forward. As an older American I thought our democracy was sacred to us all-- now I know better.
Thinking back on that day, it's clear Trump set things up to let the mob attack the Capitol. He installed a crony as Defense Secretary so the military wouldn't respond. Same with the DC National Guard. I don't understand why the DC Police didn't keep the mob from storming the Capitol. As to the long term effect, it's make me even more supportive of holding him accountable. It's also motivating me even more to help Biden win another term. There's still more work for him to do.
Given that my thoughts on J6 have still not completely, may never, crystallize, I will share a few of the things running through my mind.
The noises made by some Republican legislators had already caused deep apprehension about the course events might take. There was also an overwhelming sense of sadness. Although I've been politically active for years, I've never been much of a party loyalist. In the past, I had aligned with different parties on different issues. I had always believed in the necessity of the loyal opposition for practically all issues. J6 was, to me, the death rattle of the Republican Party. I felt a muddled sense of anger and sadness at the demise of the two party system and deep disillusionment that so much of the American public could be taken in by the traitors who fomented and enabled this insurrection.
Toward the media, I felt nothing but unmitigated anger and a sense of betrayal. Shimon Peres once said, "Television has made dictatorship impossible and democracy unbearable." I had always taken that as a source of comfort when I was unhappy with current political trends. The reporting on J6, the events rhetoric leading up to it, and its aftermath, not only on Fox and Newsmax, but on some mainstream channels made me doubt the security I had felt in that thought.
While I intend to do everything I can to get past this immediate challenge, I'm realistic enough to understand that at age 77, I'm unlikely to live long enough to see complete healing of the societal scars left from the wounds inflicted by Trump, his acolytes and the Republican Party. That makes me sad.
The most disturbing aspect of the DJT phenomenon - including his televised incitement to violent insurrection - is the widespread abandonment of practical reasoning about facts. Evidence either supports what a politician says or not. When did Americans forget how to think? I fear for the future. These irresponsible Trumpists have set such an atrocious example for America’s young, what will they do?
The citizens of Harlem, B'klyn, Bronx & Queens learned Exactly, what /who drumpft is, when he came across the Wueensboro Bridge.
We saw how he was treating the immigrants, he brought in to build his tower on 5 th Ave.
We knew he was putting it there bcz the " old $$$ of NYC" deemed him "persona non grata". He truly showed his kister with that full page ad & his vicious lies; Black ppl, as a whole, don't run toward trouble & BS.
The Maga vultures have always been just that, VULTURES,; he just gave them permission to be free about their REAL selves .
BTW, since Antifa & BLM started the 1/6/20 " revolt", why is he gonna pardon them & why did margarine & the gop h. r.s go to the jailhouse, so concerned about them? The Jan. 6 Choir seems like a modern minstrel act;🙄, the opening song at his rallies.
This may read as harsh, but this is simply NYC plain speech... You can't say it Michael, but We do.
Keep telling your truth... Just get a bit less " polite" 💯
😎♏
Spence captured my thoughts. I feel betrayed by every Senator, representative, Governor and AG that voted against impeachment. We must vote them out 🇺🇸💙🇺🇸✍️
I have lost any remaining faith in the Republican party.
It’s made me frightened not only for me but for my children and grandchildren’s future.
Goes to show how blatantly unexceptional we are. Coups can happen anywhere--even here.